Captain's log--star date, 03142014. Due to scarcity of time, this will be my final report on airline activity in recent days.
"Airline's lack of information angers relatives"
By Didi Tang, Gillian Wong and members of the Associated Press
U-T San Diego
March 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/10/airlines-lack-of-information-angers-relatives/
In a nutshell: Relatives of Chinese passengers who were on board the currently-missing Malaysia Airlines flight have aired their grievances with the airline over their lack of responses to their concerns.
Why this matters: There is no better company philosophy than 'communication is KEY', especially in those occasions where one were to deal with an angry customer base.
"Airlines hurt as Ukraine crisis lifts oil price"
By John Heilprin
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/airlines-lower-forecast-for-record-2014-profit/
In a nutshell: The crisis in the Ukraine has caused the price of fuel the world over to go up, alarming those within the global airline industry.
Why this matters: This effectively would affect the cost of doing business for a small airline such as ours, as no fuel means no flights.
"Agency suing American Airlines over tax incentives"
By Don Babwin
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/agency-suing-american-airlines-over-tax-incentives/
In a nutshell: American Airlines is being sued by the Regional Transportation Authority for false claims of buying large amounts of jet fuel from a small office in a rural community to avoid tax payments, ones that number in the tens of millions.
Why this matters: Simply put--we can NEVER lie in the face of government oversight, because no matter how clever we could attempt to be, we can still get caught.
"Bad decade: Malaysia Airlines has catalog of woes"
By Kelvin Chan
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/bad-decade-malaysia-airlines-has-catalog-of-woes/
In a nutshell: Malaysia Airlines' reputation has been sinking in the public eye ever since the start of the missing flight incident, with its financial pressures and instances of lack of professionalism coming to light.
Why this matters: In times like this, a PR department's going to be working overtime to help clean up messes this massive.
"Friends Fear USC Graduate Student Was Aboard Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight
By Jonathan Lloyd, Nyree Arabian, Steven Covelman and Conan Nolan
NBC-7 San Diego
March 14th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/SD-Friends-Fear-USC-Graduate-Student-Was-Aboard-Missing-Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-250369461.html#ixzz2vyE2i400
In a nutshell: "Friends fear a 27-year-old University of Southern California graduate student was among the 239 passengers on board a Malaysia Airlines jet that went missing last weekend."
Why this matters: Crisis communication needs to be not just practiced by us, but it needs to become a force of habit should we ever face similar events.
As the late Walter Cronkite always used to say: "And that's the way it is."
Friday, March 14, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Finale?
This might be the final recap I've got up my sleeve, and it covers quite the amount of legal territory.
From Chapter 3
Ethics, described in a single sentence, is the study of how we as a people should behave. Our behavior is derived from values for any situation. Ideally, one can be an honest, open, and fair advocate, since society at large knows that said advocate is functioning in a specific role. For the case of PR specialists, groups such as the PRSA, IABC, and IPRA set the particular standards and ethics for the profession. The main goal is to provide a continuous education of standards to all members, as well as raising those same standards.
Almost every professional organization (including the aforementioned three) have published and documented codes of conduct for how professional behavior is measured. There are also codes published dealing with financial relations; video news release production; working with bloggers; and social media networks.
From Chapter 12
(That is the last time I leave an entry unpublished.)
From Chapter 3
Ethics, described in a single sentence, is the study of how we as a people should behave. Our behavior is derived from values for any situation. Ideally, one can be an honest, open, and fair advocate, since society at large knows that said advocate is functioning in a specific role. For the case of PR specialists, groups such as the PRSA, IABC, and IPRA set the particular standards and ethics for the profession. The main goal is to provide a continuous education of standards to all members, as well as raising those same standards.
Almost every professional organization (including the aforementioned three) have published and documented codes of conduct for how professional behavior is measured. There are also codes published dealing with financial relations; video news release production; working with bloggers; and social media networks.
How an occupation becomes a profession involves an ever-changing process that requires following many steps, with a prime one being accepting of, and following, professional standards--this mainly applies to those with no formal training. How PR is considered a profession is because of the following criteria:
- Possesses a body of knowledge
- Is a widely-accepted discipline at the college and university level
- With that comes academic centers for research.
From Chapter 12
PR practitioners can land themselves in legal hot water in many ways, most of which guarantee a lawsuit or dealing with a government regulator. Among those offenses can be either providing advice to, or otherwise supporting, the client's illegal activities. Other major subjects of offense include:
- Libel and slander, or collectively defamation, where the emphasis is on false and negligent communication with a subject who suffered financial, reputational, or mental loss. There are exceptions, such as the bad reviews of movie critics (which are seen as 'fair comment').
- Invasion of privacy (which really speaks for itself)
- Copyright law, which deals with protecting creative works
- Trademark law, which deals similarly with names, symbols, slogans, etc.
- Government regulations, where one treads carefully to not incur the wrath of agencies such as the FTC, SEC, FCC, FDA, and EEOC.
- Corporate speech, which is a murky area as organizations are allowed to express opinions and views on public issues.
- Employee speech, especially in an age where digital communications makes it possible to almost freely express opinions within a corporate landscape.
- And then there's liability for sponsored events; any safety or security issues during different types of promotional events press the need for companies to possess liability insurance.
In those cases, there must be a good cooperative relationship between PR personnel and legal counsel to handle each one effectively. They both must do the following:
- Report to the same top exec.
- Be represented on key committees.
- Be aware of the legality that comes with almost anything and be up-to-date on certain protocols via briefings.
(That is the last time I leave an entry unpublished.)
Friday, March 7, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Nine (March 3rd-7th, 2014)
More from the world of air travel comes your way:
"Worst time for air travel since 9/11"
By Linda Loyd
philly.com/inquirer
March 5th, 2014
http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-05/news/47899204_1_united-airlines-american-airlines-masflight
In a nutshell: Loyd recaps the costs that were inflicted upon the air travel industry by this year's winter weather.
Why this matters: This would serve as a means of measuring how much we could prepare for any sort of weather-related emergency both financially and with regards to our customer base.
"Air travel this spring will take off, airline industry predicts"
By Hugo Martin
The Los Angeles Times
March 5th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-air-travel-this-spring-20140305,0,4251891.story#ixzz2vJWxIMHD
In a nutshell: Declining fuel prices, among other factors, may ensure that this spring will bring in a record number of passengers for international flights, for what may be the highest levels for U.S. carriers in six years.
Why this matters: Among the factors that were considered were rising household net worth and an improving economy, so this may feed into our growing customer base if we use this to our advantage.
"Consumer Groups Question U.S. Inaction on Critical Air Travel Rulemaking"
By Susan Young
travelagentcentral.com
March 6th, 2014
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/air-travel/consumer-groups-question-us-inaction-critical-air-travel-rulemaking-44969
In a nutshell: "Multiple U.S. consumer groups made public a letter they've jointly sent to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget about delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) "Enhancing Consumer Protections III" rulemaking."
Why this matters: Despite our relative newness in the airline world, we still will fall under these particular rules and would be wise to pay attention to these developments as they happen.
"Delta spells out miles needed to earn free flights"
By David Koenig
U-T San Diego
March 6th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/06/delta-spells-out-miles-needed-to-earn-free-flights/
In a nutshell: "Delta is leaving the minimum number of miles needed for a U.S. trip at 25,000 miles and lowering requirements on some flights, especially international ones in business and first class."
Why this matters: This might give us pause on how we decide to structure our own miles plan, since we are a relatively new airline and customers have yet to actually accumulate miles with us.
"Woman Fights to Make Air Travel Safer for Food Allergy Sufferers"
By Erin Billups
Time Warner Cable News NY1
March 7th, 2014
http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/health/204704/woman-fights-to-make-air-travel-safer-for-food-allergy-sufferers
In an nutshell: Lianne Mandelbaum, whose son has a serious food allergy, has launched a website called NoNutTraveler.com, which provides resources for allergy-riddled air passengers.
Why this matters: That right there gives us a great way to broaden our customer base--calling ourselves (and actually making ourselves) the first 'hypo-allergenic' airline.
"Worst time for air travel since 9/11"
By Linda Loyd
philly.com/inquirer
March 5th, 2014
http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-05/news/47899204_1_united-airlines-american-airlines-masflight
In a nutshell: Loyd recaps the costs that were inflicted upon the air travel industry by this year's winter weather.
Why this matters: This would serve as a means of measuring how much we could prepare for any sort of weather-related emergency both financially and with regards to our customer base.
"Air travel this spring will take off, airline industry predicts"
By Hugo Martin
The Los Angeles Times
March 5th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-air-travel-this-spring-20140305,0,4251891.story#ixzz2vJWxIMHD
In a nutshell: Declining fuel prices, among other factors, may ensure that this spring will bring in a record number of passengers for international flights, for what may be the highest levels for U.S. carriers in six years.
Why this matters: Among the factors that were considered were rising household net worth and an improving economy, so this may feed into our growing customer base if we use this to our advantage.
"Consumer Groups Question U.S. Inaction on Critical Air Travel Rulemaking"
By Susan Young
travelagentcentral.com
March 6th, 2014
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/air-travel/consumer-groups-question-us-inaction-critical-air-travel-rulemaking-44969
In a nutshell: "Multiple U.S. consumer groups made public a letter they've jointly sent to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget about delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) "Enhancing Consumer Protections III" rulemaking."
Why this matters: Despite our relative newness in the airline world, we still will fall under these particular rules and would be wise to pay attention to these developments as they happen.
"Delta spells out miles needed to earn free flights"
By David Koenig
U-T San Diego
March 6th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/06/delta-spells-out-miles-needed-to-earn-free-flights/
In a nutshell: "Delta is leaving the minimum number of miles needed for a U.S. trip at 25,000 miles and lowering requirements on some flights, especially international ones in business and first class."
Why this matters: This might give us pause on how we decide to structure our own miles plan, since we are a relatively new airline and customers have yet to actually accumulate miles with us.
"Woman Fights to Make Air Travel Safer for Food Allergy Sufferers"
By Erin Billups
Time Warner Cable News NY1
March 7th, 2014
http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/health/204704/woman-fights-to-make-air-travel-safer-for-food-allergy-sufferers
In an nutshell: Lianne Mandelbaum, whose son has a serious food allergy, has launched a website called NoNutTraveler.com, which provides resources for allergy-riddled air passengers.
Why this matters: That right there gives us a great way to broaden our customer base--calling ourselves (and actually making ourselves) the first 'hypo-allergenic' airline.
Monday, March 3, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part IX
Today's recap reminds me of a party planner I once knew....Anyway, on with the show:
From Chapter 16
For public relations specialists, events and other types of meetings are great ways to reach people, and they are also good ways to involve those same people and their five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight). These events need to be deliberately planned right down to every detail.
In the group or club meeting, these particular details that require the most attention are time and location, facilities and their seating capacity, invitations, name tags, a menu if refreshments are possible, who will be the speakers, how one registers, and of course the costs of it all.
Banquets tend to be more formal affairs, and need to be planned greatly in advance--sometimes months, sometimes weeks. Besides the aforementioned details found in a group meeting, banquets also require additions such as decorations, the choice of entertainment, A/V equipment, fees for the speakers, and charts detailing seating arrangements.
Cocktail parties and receptions have the greatest care taken into account, mainly because of possible liability that stems from alcohol consumption and the amount of food and soft beverages available.
With the cases of open houses or plant tours, the planning that goes into each requires carefully handling visitors and meticulous training of personnel in contact with said visitors.
Conventions are a greater challenge as the professionals in charge need to oversee multiple events and meetings over a select number of days. These conventions may even consist of the previously mentioned events all grouped together as part of the schedule.
Trade shows attract millions of people, and exhibit space costs can vary from the figures of $50,000 to $1 million. A relative of these shows, promotional events, also has costly fees, but with good reason--the occasional celebrity appearance. Such promotional events can be grand openings, product announcements or unveilings, or even charity races like a 10-K. The only things that need to be taken into great consideration are city permits in order to actually hold the event; security to make sure nothing disrupts it; and liability insurance in the event that something does indeed go wrong.
From Chapter 16
For public relations specialists, events and other types of meetings are great ways to reach people, and they are also good ways to involve those same people and their five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight). These events need to be deliberately planned right down to every detail.
In the group or club meeting, these particular details that require the most attention are time and location, facilities and their seating capacity, invitations, name tags, a menu if refreshments are possible, who will be the speakers, how one registers, and of course the costs of it all.
Banquets tend to be more formal affairs, and need to be planned greatly in advance--sometimes months, sometimes weeks. Besides the aforementioned details found in a group meeting, banquets also require additions such as decorations, the choice of entertainment, A/V equipment, fees for the speakers, and charts detailing seating arrangements.
Cocktail parties and receptions have the greatest care taken into account, mainly because of possible liability that stems from alcohol consumption and the amount of food and soft beverages available.
With the cases of open houses or plant tours, the planning that goes into each requires carefully handling visitors and meticulous training of personnel in contact with said visitors.
Conventions are a greater challenge as the professionals in charge need to oversee multiple events and meetings over a select number of days. These conventions may even consist of the previously mentioned events all grouped together as part of the schedule.
Trade shows attract millions of people, and exhibit space costs can vary from the figures of $50,000 to $1 million. A relative of these shows, promotional events, also has costly fees, but with good reason--the occasional celebrity appearance. Such promotional events can be grand openings, product announcements or unveilings, or even charity races like a 10-K. The only things that need to be taken into great consideration are city permits in order to actually hold the event; security to make sure nothing disrupts it; and liability insurance in the event that something does indeed go wrong.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Eight (February 24th-28th, 2014)
Do not attempt to adjust your monitor. This transmission has been taken over for the purposes of...media monitoring.
"Federal Air Marshal Service to close six field offices"
By Pia Malbran
CBS News
February 24th, 2014
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshals-to-close-six-field-offices/
In an nutshell: Six offices of the Federal Air Marshal Service will be closing, raising concerns over air travel vulnerability.
Why this matters: We need to determine if we can guarantee in-flight safety for our potential passengers, so it might be wise to keep ourselves apprised of this development. The San Diego office is set to close, as is the Seattle one.
"Santee college, airline strike deal for students"
By Karen Pearlman
U-T San Diego
February 24th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/Feb/24/santee-college-airline-students-pilots/
In a nutshell: American Eagle airlines has struck a deal with San Diego Christian College's four-year flight school program to help students transition more easily into aviation careers.
Why this matters: This might prove to be a tactic we could use to increase our employee pool and better ingratiate ourselves with college communities.
"Airline pilot shortage? Report says it's not clear"
The CW-6 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/airline-pilot-shortage-report-says-it-s-not-clear-20140227
In a nutshell: The Government Accountability Office, in studying the issue, has estimated that 1900-4500 new airline pilots will need to be hired annually over a span of 10 years.
Why this matters: We can use this opportunity to put our hat into the ring and try and attract new pilots to help our airline get up off the ground.
"Latest airline perk: Safe distance from the masses"
CBS-8 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cbs8.com/story/24840784/latest-airline-perk-safe-distance-from-the-masses
In an nutshell: A new kind of 'luxury' is being offered to wealthy passengers from San Francisco to Hong Kong--physical distance in the cabin of the plan from those passengers in coach or first class.
Why this matters: We might want to consider pushing ourselves as an 'airline of the people' in light of this development.
"American Airlines ends bereavement fares"
By Katia Hetter
CNN Travel
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/travel/american-airlines-bereavement-fares/
In a nutshell: American Airlines will no longer be charging bereavement fares due to its merger with US Airways, easing a burden off of customers in times of need.
Why this matters: This opens the door to what other possible add-ons can be phased out, and we could be the first airline to not have any of these impact ticket prices.
"Federal Air Marshal Service to close six field offices"
By Pia Malbran
CBS News
February 24th, 2014
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshals-to-close-six-field-offices/
In an nutshell: Six offices of the Federal Air Marshal Service will be closing, raising concerns over air travel vulnerability.
Why this matters: We need to determine if we can guarantee in-flight safety for our potential passengers, so it might be wise to keep ourselves apprised of this development. The San Diego office is set to close, as is the Seattle one.
"Santee college, airline strike deal for students"
By Karen Pearlman
U-T San Diego
February 24th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/Feb/24/santee-college-airline-students-pilots/
In a nutshell: American Eagle airlines has struck a deal with San Diego Christian College's four-year flight school program to help students transition more easily into aviation careers.
Why this matters: This might prove to be a tactic we could use to increase our employee pool and better ingratiate ourselves with college communities.
"Airline pilot shortage? Report says it's not clear"
The CW-6 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/airline-pilot-shortage-report-says-it-s-not-clear-20140227
In a nutshell: The Government Accountability Office, in studying the issue, has estimated that 1900-4500 new airline pilots will need to be hired annually over a span of 10 years.
Why this matters: We can use this opportunity to put our hat into the ring and try and attract new pilots to help our airline get up off the ground.
"Latest airline perk: Safe distance from the masses"
CBS-8 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cbs8.com/story/24840784/latest-airline-perk-safe-distance-from-the-masses
In an nutshell: A new kind of 'luxury' is being offered to wealthy passengers from San Francisco to Hong Kong--physical distance in the cabin of the plan from those passengers in coach or first class.
Why this matters: We might want to consider pushing ourselves as an 'airline of the people' in light of this development.
"American Airlines ends bereavement fares"
By Katia Hetter
CNN Travel
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/travel/american-airlines-bereavement-fares/
In a nutshell: American Airlines will no longer be charging bereavement fares due to its merger with US Airways, easing a burden off of customers in times of need.
Why this matters: This opens the door to what other possible add-ons can be phased out, and we could be the first airline to not have any of these impact ticket prices.
Monday, February 24, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VIII
Today's recap brings things into crisis mode, especially on the corporate level.
From Chapter 10
Public relations, among its many functions, also acts as a way of practicing the management of both conflict and competition in multiple settings. In playing this role, it falls under what is called the contingency theory, which calls for a dynamic, multifaceted method with settling a conflict. Within this, managing a conflict can fall into four phases of a cycle: the proactive, the strategic, the reactive, and finally the recovery phase. Each phase has its own variety of methods and means for carrying it out, ensuring a continuous cycle.
Another way to describe crisis management would also be 'issues management', a proactive, systemic means of anticipating and preventing any potential problems on the rise. In doing so, five steps need to be taken: identification, analysis, strategizing options, coming up with an action plan, and evaluating the results.
An approach to issue management on a public scale can be through risk communication, where a risk to public health, safety, or the environment is attempted to be addressed via dissemination of accurate information. Communicators have to preemptively figure out the concern at hand, ferret out hostility that may arise, respond to the media's needs, and all while maintaining a sense of honesty.
The very idea of crisis management is usually tested when an actual crisis is occurring, no matter which kind it is. Any lack of proper planning for this turns the ordeal into a "smoldering" crisis. On an organizational level, when it occurs within the corporate structure, this sort of planning takes the form of 'reputation management'. This shows how an organization deals with conflict both without and within. By relying on research to gauge reputation during and following a crisis, they minimize the damage to their reputation, and when this is verified, they can return to a proactive approach of preventing further 'catastrophes' (and improve their performance in the process).
From Chapter 17
If there are entities that are at the forefront of crisis management via PR, they are today's giant, globally-reaching corporations. The fact that they are of such a vast size causes mistrust to brew within the public, and the recent financial scandals didn't help their image either. To get back on the public's good side, they need to tell their side of the story, which is where corporate social responsibility comes into play. It is here that PR comes into great play, in three different facets.
In media relations, the corporations need to deal with the public perception of business (which originate from mass media--see films such as Network or Wall Street, for example). To get over this hurdle, corporations build relationships with business editors and reporters by trying to be more open and accessible about their policies, operations, and dealings.
In customer relations, customer service divisions are the most prominent example of corporate PR. By ensuring customer satisfaction, you ensure customer loyalty AND create an 'agent' that spreads word about the service or product to others. PR experts in a corporate setting work to make this happen as much as possible, to the point where they've been given rein to start up communication programs to serve customer bases much better--especially with the case of the increasingly diverse United States population. Keeping corporations in check also falls into the hands of special interest groups, activist groups, and the occasional consumer boycotts.
In employee relations, corporations seek to ensure that their company 'ambassadors' are high in morale, communicate effectively, and are good sources of information on the company. Layoffs and offshoring can often be detrimental to employee morale, though in the case of the former, companies do offer severance packages to ease the pain.
In investor relations, PR experts need to be knowledgeable in the fields of both communication and finance to deal with the other big constituency of corporations: the investors, both corporate and public. They also need to be aware and downright knowledgeable about government regulations, as government is one of a corporation's biggest investors.
To make all the above easier, PR, advertising, and marketing staffs work together to set up proper marketing communication between a company and the public, via product publicity, placement, partnerships with non-profits, and corporate sponsorships.
These days, environmental relations has become greatly important, as corporations have more dialogues with activist groups to deal with both environmental and human rights issues. As part of these efforts, corporate philanthropy often comes into play--every year, corporations give about $15 million dollars to different causes, mostly to those that complement their business and consumer profiles.
(I've got to do something about leaving drafts in the lurch...)
From Chapter 10
Public relations, among its many functions, also acts as a way of practicing the management of both conflict and competition in multiple settings. In playing this role, it falls under what is called the contingency theory, which calls for a dynamic, multifaceted method with settling a conflict. Within this, managing a conflict can fall into four phases of a cycle: the proactive, the strategic, the reactive, and finally the recovery phase. Each phase has its own variety of methods and means for carrying it out, ensuring a continuous cycle.
Another way to describe crisis management would also be 'issues management', a proactive, systemic means of anticipating and preventing any potential problems on the rise. In doing so, five steps need to be taken: identification, analysis, strategizing options, coming up with an action plan, and evaluating the results.
An approach to issue management on a public scale can be through risk communication, where a risk to public health, safety, or the environment is attempted to be addressed via dissemination of accurate information. Communicators have to preemptively figure out the concern at hand, ferret out hostility that may arise, respond to the media's needs, and all while maintaining a sense of honesty.
The very idea of crisis management is usually tested when an actual crisis is occurring, no matter which kind it is. Any lack of proper planning for this turns the ordeal into a "smoldering" crisis. On an organizational level, when it occurs within the corporate structure, this sort of planning takes the form of 'reputation management'. This shows how an organization deals with conflict both without and within. By relying on research to gauge reputation during and following a crisis, they minimize the damage to their reputation, and when this is verified, they can return to a proactive approach of preventing further 'catastrophes' (and improve their performance in the process).
From Chapter 17
If there are entities that are at the forefront of crisis management via PR, they are today's giant, globally-reaching corporations. The fact that they are of such a vast size causes mistrust to brew within the public, and the recent financial scandals didn't help their image either. To get back on the public's good side, they need to tell their side of the story, which is where corporate social responsibility comes into play. It is here that PR comes into great play, in three different facets.
In media relations, the corporations need to deal with the public perception of business (which originate from mass media--see films such as Network or Wall Street, for example). To get over this hurdle, corporations build relationships with business editors and reporters by trying to be more open and accessible about their policies, operations, and dealings.
In customer relations, customer service divisions are the most prominent example of corporate PR. By ensuring customer satisfaction, you ensure customer loyalty AND create an 'agent' that spreads word about the service or product to others. PR experts in a corporate setting work to make this happen as much as possible, to the point where they've been given rein to start up communication programs to serve customer bases much better--especially with the case of the increasingly diverse United States population. Keeping corporations in check also falls into the hands of special interest groups, activist groups, and the occasional consumer boycotts.
In employee relations, corporations seek to ensure that their company 'ambassadors' are high in morale, communicate effectively, and are good sources of information on the company. Layoffs and offshoring can often be detrimental to employee morale, though in the case of the former, companies do offer severance packages to ease the pain.
In investor relations, PR experts need to be knowledgeable in the fields of both communication and finance to deal with the other big constituency of corporations: the investors, both corporate and public. They also need to be aware and downright knowledgeable about government regulations, as government is one of a corporation's biggest investors.
To make all the above easier, PR, advertising, and marketing staffs work together to set up proper marketing communication between a company and the public, via product publicity, placement, partnerships with non-profits, and corporate sponsorships.
These days, environmental relations has become greatly important, as corporations have more dialogues with activist groups to deal with both environmental and human rights issues. As part of these efforts, corporate philanthropy often comes into play--every year, corporations give about $15 million dollars to different causes, mostly to those that complement their business and consumer profiles.
(I've got to do something about leaving drafts in the lurch...)
Friday, February 21, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Seven (February 17th-21st, 2014)
All right, all right, you know the drill. Only problem is, second slow news week. (Man, I've got to readjust my media alert criteria....)
"Animal activists protest outside SeaWorld San Diego: Group also took message to Lindbergh Field"
ABC-10 San Diego
February 16th, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/animal-activists-protest-outside-seaworld-san-diego-group-also-took-message-to-lindbergh-field-02162014
In a nutshell: 200 animal rights activists staged large protests at both SeaWorld San Diego and at Lindbergh Field, continuing the fervor over Southwest Airlines' partnership with the theme park amidst the controversy brought about by the documentary Blackfish.
Why this matters: Reinforcing a previous entry from a few weeks back, we need to make it clear to potential passengers and customers that we associate our company with partners whose practices are humane and environmentally-conscious.
"Gary Sinise, Hollywood Pals Salute Wounded Warriors with 3-Day Fest"
Breitbart News
February 17th, 2014
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/02/17/gary-sinise-wounded-warrior-san-diego
In a nutshell: Actor Gary Sinise, via his foundation and with the support of both American Airlines and the USO (along with some help from some of his fellow actors) to stage a three-day event honoring wounded soldiers.
Why this matters: We should think about finding a way to place ourselves in the position of honoring our troops by giving them a means of returning to their families.
"Fly from LAX or SAN to Mammoth Free with Lodging Purchase"
By Courtney Royce
onthesnow.com
February 19th, 2014
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/589308/fly-from-lax-or-san-to-mammoth-free-with-lodging-purchase
In a nutshell: Up to two people are now eligible for free flights from LAX or San Diego International Airport if they make reservations at any Mammoth Lakes resort, between March 23rd and April 4th.
Why this matters: We should start thinking about partnering with resorts or hotels to offer similar premiums to our customers.
"Airlines warned to beware of possible shoe bombs"
By CNN Wire
FOX-5 San Diego
February 20th, 2014
http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/02/19/airlines-warned-to-beware-of-possible-shoe-bombs/#axzz2tziU7tnn
In a nutshell: Airlines have been warned by the US government of possible terrorist threats via hidden explosives in their shoes.
Why this matters: We'll need to figure out how our airline complies with the government in matters such as this.
"Animal activists protest outside SeaWorld San Diego: Group also took message to Lindbergh Field"
ABC-10 San Diego
February 16th, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/animal-activists-protest-outside-seaworld-san-diego-group-also-took-message-to-lindbergh-field-02162014
In a nutshell: 200 animal rights activists staged large protests at both SeaWorld San Diego and at Lindbergh Field, continuing the fervor over Southwest Airlines' partnership with the theme park amidst the controversy brought about by the documentary Blackfish.
Why this matters: Reinforcing a previous entry from a few weeks back, we need to make it clear to potential passengers and customers that we associate our company with partners whose practices are humane and environmentally-conscious.
"Gary Sinise, Hollywood Pals Salute Wounded Warriors with 3-Day Fest"
Breitbart News
February 17th, 2014
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/02/17/gary-sinise-wounded-warrior-san-diego
In a nutshell: Actor Gary Sinise, via his foundation and with the support of both American Airlines and the USO (along with some help from some of his fellow actors) to stage a three-day event honoring wounded soldiers.
Why this matters: We should think about finding a way to place ourselves in the position of honoring our troops by giving them a means of returning to their families.
"Fly from LAX or SAN to Mammoth Free with Lodging Purchase"
By Courtney Royce
onthesnow.com
February 19th, 2014
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/589308/fly-from-lax-or-san-to-mammoth-free-with-lodging-purchase
In a nutshell: Up to two people are now eligible for free flights from LAX or San Diego International Airport if they make reservations at any Mammoth Lakes resort, between March 23rd and April 4th.
Why this matters: We should start thinking about partnering with resorts or hotels to offer similar premiums to our customers.
"Airlines warned to beware of possible shoe bombs"
By CNN Wire
FOX-5 San Diego
February 20th, 2014
http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/02/19/airlines-warned-to-beware-of-possible-shoe-bombs/#axzz2tziU7tnn
In a nutshell: Airlines have been warned by the US government of possible terrorist threats via hidden explosives in their shoes.
Why this matters: We'll need to figure out how our airline complies with the government in matters such as this.
Monday, February 17, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VII
Today's recap focuses on the expanse, highs, and lows, of public opinion, and its relation to some of the biggest moneymakers for PR: entertainment, sports, and for better or worse, politics.
From Chapter 9
Public opinion is one of the most difficult aspects of society to gauge, due to how few there are of issues that the entirety of the public can unanimously agree on. Tackling any level of public interest will involve engaging said public's idea of how the issue will affect their own self-interest.
A prime factor in forming public opinion comes in the form of public discussion, which can be started by people knowledgeable in certain issues: formal opinion leaders, aka power leaders, and informal, or role models. Mostly via mass media, opinion then travels from the leader to the public. Mass media plays such a large role in setting the atmosphere for letting public discourse emerge, though it can be complicated by the idea of the media-dependency theory, where people who know little-to-nothing of a certain issue rely mostly on mass media for giving them information and shaping their opinions. Another theory, the framing theory, fits into the field based on the idea that agents of mass media in the form of journalists and PR personnel promote a fraction of an issue/controversy to bring people in--whereas journalists focus on the conflict in a story, PR specialists look for resolution of a conflict.
On the subject of where PR fits into this, the prominent view--or fittingly, the public opinion--of PR is that it is a means of persuasive communication on behalf of certain parties or clients. Such forms of persuasion temper hostilities, solidify views and feelings, and preserve the more favorable of them. There are some basic factors in communicating persuasively:
From Chapter 18
Among the biggest businesses in the United States, sports, entertainment and tourism reign supreme. Movies, sports games, concerts, travel--all contribute heavily to the public relations bottom line, all because people have many options to spend their income on. In return, these industries do everything in their power to both attract customers and outdo each other by spending large amounts of money on marketing, advertising, and PR.
One of the biggest parts of this climate is the idea of the cult of personality, where mass media glorifies all kinds of celebrities, be they athlete, entertainer, even crooks and politicians--or even crooked politicians. The overall idea is that fame (and sometimes greed) motivates the celebrity for good or ill, and their public is in turn sees in them as fonts of wish fulfillment, belonging, and sometimes entertainment (even when the celebrity in question isn't even trying). In this field, PR people are known as publicists due to their duty of generating buzz and excitement based around a celebrity or something in their line of work, be it a game, a film, a concert, or a benefit. They also act as 'damage control' in the event that said celebrity manages to make a fool of him or herself in public (or make a brush with law enforcement).
In preparing a publicity campaign for the client, a publicist needs to interview him or her, put together a biography that can be accepted by the masses, draft a plan to market the client, and then pull off a campaign involving public appearances, photography shoots, and news releases picked up by multiple media outlets. For something on a larger scale such as an event, drumming up ticket sales, among other things, may require some good publicity campaigns. One greatly-utilized technique may include the 'drip-drip-drip' method of disseminating information to the 'target audience' (a term coined by the film industry). For sporting events, college and professional teams are greatly promoted via buildup of 'star player' images, corporate sponsorship, and these days social media.
With tourism, the idea is selling people on a PLACE. In the United States, home to notable tourist destinations such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Empire State Building, tourism generates 10% of gross national product. To ensure that flow of GNP, travel PR involves giving the public good reason to visit a place, making arrangements for them to reach it, gauging their enjoyment of the trip, and keeping track of their safety. One of the biggest audiences for this industry is retirees, but despite that steady stream of people, tourism is a business with a fluctuating state of being, due to threats such as economic downturn, political instability, and other disasters that can harm tourists.
From Chapter 19
PR in political and governmental settings tend to be a more trickier area than in entertainment, sports, and tourism; then again, government has been playing the PR game for centuries, as they seek to inform and persuade the public on many different issues regarding the state of their nation. In the United States, however, Congress puts limits on federal agencies that seek to 'persuade' the people, so they emphasize 'public information'.
On the federal level, the U.S. government is the largest information dissemination entity in the world, with the centerpiece being the White House (where every action the President takes is observed by mass media). The Presidents past and present have used this to their advantage to guide the nation in certain directions (while also making themselves 're-electable'). All agencies within the government use public affairs officers and public information specialists to present policies in ways their constituencies can easily digest.
On the state level, public information officers inform the people of the moves the state government makes; some agencies even conduct campaigns to promote health and safety issues or tourism. Locally, public information specialists are utilized to spread the word about city services and encourage economic development within.
To better communicate with entities on the federal, state and local levels of government (national and international), most corporate communication involves a public affairs division, which builds relationships between civil servants/elected officials and the client in question. They also keep track of any government actions that could affect said client. An example of this can be found in the activities of trade groups in Washington D.C., where specialists in PA give a government entity and the public it serves the primary viewpoint of the client. Lobbyists tend to be more politically active, participating in attempts to pass, defeat, or amend legislation--something that, as of late, has begun to generate public concern. U.S. business, education, religion, and international groups have their proverbial foot in the door of government via lobbyists.
In a corporate sense, government relations serve to find ways of working with government for a mutual benefit, while getting employees to be more politically active; Washington D.C. and other state-based trade associations are a prominent example.
Come election season, whole armies of specialists in PR and other public opinion fields are brought on (or event retained) by candidates to raise money for, and organize, their campaigns. In this information technology-tinted age, the internet has come in very handy for these efforts.
(Long night drafting this, believe it or not. I nearly forgot to click 'publish' on this until today.)
From Chapter 9
Public opinion is one of the most difficult aspects of society to gauge, due to how few there are of issues that the entirety of the public can unanimously agree on. Tackling any level of public interest will involve engaging said public's idea of how the issue will affect their own self-interest.
A prime factor in forming public opinion comes in the form of public discussion, which can be started by people knowledgeable in certain issues: formal opinion leaders, aka power leaders, and informal, or role models. Mostly via mass media, opinion then travels from the leader to the public. Mass media plays such a large role in setting the atmosphere for letting public discourse emerge, though it can be complicated by the idea of the media-dependency theory, where people who know little-to-nothing of a certain issue rely mostly on mass media for giving them information and shaping their opinions. Another theory, the framing theory, fits into the field based on the idea that agents of mass media in the form of journalists and PR personnel promote a fraction of an issue/controversy to bring people in--whereas journalists focus on the conflict in a story, PR specialists look for resolution of a conflict.
On the subject of where PR fits into this, the prominent view--or fittingly, the public opinion--of PR is that it is a means of persuasive communication on behalf of certain parties or clients. Such forms of persuasion temper hostilities, solidify views and feelings, and preserve the more favorable of them. There are some basic factors in communicating persuasively:
- Audience analysis
- Credibility of source(s)
- Appeal to self-interest(s)
- Clarity of message(s)
- Timing/context
- Audience participation
- Active suggestions
- Message content and structure
- Speaking persuasively
From Chapter 18
Among the biggest businesses in the United States, sports, entertainment and tourism reign supreme. Movies, sports games, concerts, travel--all contribute heavily to the public relations bottom line, all because people have many options to spend their income on. In return, these industries do everything in their power to both attract customers and outdo each other by spending large amounts of money on marketing, advertising, and PR.
One of the biggest parts of this climate is the idea of the cult of personality, where mass media glorifies all kinds of celebrities, be they athlete, entertainer, even crooks and politicians--or even crooked politicians. The overall idea is that fame (and sometimes greed) motivates the celebrity for good or ill, and their public is in turn sees in them as fonts of wish fulfillment, belonging, and sometimes entertainment (even when the celebrity in question isn't even trying). In this field, PR people are known as publicists due to their duty of generating buzz and excitement based around a celebrity or something in their line of work, be it a game, a film, a concert, or a benefit. They also act as 'damage control' in the event that said celebrity manages to make a fool of him or herself in public (or make a brush with law enforcement).
In preparing a publicity campaign for the client, a publicist needs to interview him or her, put together a biography that can be accepted by the masses, draft a plan to market the client, and then pull off a campaign involving public appearances, photography shoots, and news releases picked up by multiple media outlets. For something on a larger scale such as an event, drumming up ticket sales, among other things, may require some good publicity campaigns. One greatly-utilized technique may include the 'drip-drip-drip' method of disseminating information to the 'target audience' (a term coined by the film industry). For sporting events, college and professional teams are greatly promoted via buildup of 'star player' images, corporate sponsorship, and these days social media.
With tourism, the idea is selling people on a PLACE. In the United States, home to notable tourist destinations such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Empire State Building, tourism generates 10% of gross national product. To ensure that flow of GNP, travel PR involves giving the public good reason to visit a place, making arrangements for them to reach it, gauging their enjoyment of the trip, and keeping track of their safety. One of the biggest audiences for this industry is retirees, but despite that steady stream of people, tourism is a business with a fluctuating state of being, due to threats such as economic downturn, political instability, and other disasters that can harm tourists.
From Chapter 19
PR in political and governmental settings tend to be a more trickier area than in entertainment, sports, and tourism; then again, government has been playing the PR game for centuries, as they seek to inform and persuade the public on many different issues regarding the state of their nation. In the United States, however, Congress puts limits on federal agencies that seek to 'persuade' the people, so they emphasize 'public information'.
On the federal level, the U.S. government is the largest information dissemination entity in the world, with the centerpiece being the White House (where every action the President takes is observed by mass media). The Presidents past and present have used this to their advantage to guide the nation in certain directions (while also making themselves 're-electable'). All agencies within the government use public affairs officers and public information specialists to present policies in ways their constituencies can easily digest.
On the state level, public information officers inform the people of the moves the state government makes; some agencies even conduct campaigns to promote health and safety issues or tourism. Locally, public information specialists are utilized to spread the word about city services and encourage economic development within.
To better communicate with entities on the federal, state and local levels of government (national and international), most corporate communication involves a public affairs division, which builds relationships between civil servants/elected officials and the client in question. They also keep track of any government actions that could affect said client. An example of this can be found in the activities of trade groups in Washington D.C., where specialists in PA give a government entity and the public it serves the primary viewpoint of the client. Lobbyists tend to be more politically active, participating in attempts to pass, defeat, or amend legislation--something that, as of late, has begun to generate public concern. U.S. business, education, religion, and international groups have their proverbial foot in the door of government via lobbyists.
In a corporate sense, government relations serve to find ways of working with government for a mutual benefit, while getting employees to be more politically active; Washington D.C. and other state-based trade associations are a prominent example.
Come election season, whole armies of specialists in PR and other public opinion fields are brought on (or event retained) by candidates to raise money for, and organize, their campaigns. In this information technology-tinted age, the internet has come in very handy for these efforts.
(Long night drafting this, believe it or not. I nearly forgot to click 'publish' on this until today.)
Friday, February 14, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Six (February 10th-14th, 2014)
"Hey buddy, you got the time?"
"Why yes, it's....time for more Air-Pac Media Monitoring."
"Airport expansion plan moving forward"
By David Garrick
U-T San Diego
February 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/10/carlsbad-palomar-airport-runway-expand-proposal/
In a nutshell: San Diego county officials are moving forward with plans to expand the runway at McLellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, which is one of the only two airports (the other being Lindbergh Field) that offer commercial service. It would supposedly, among other possible benefits, solve certain noise and safety issues.
Why it matters: When we're considering possible locations where our flights can be offered outside the more larger airports, it might be good to consider where we could expand our reach to smaller and more local airports.
"Spirit Airlines Passengers Go for Cheap Tickets Over Time"
By J. Kyle O'Donnell
Bloomberg.com
February 10th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-11/spirit-airlines-passengers-go-for-cheap-tickets-over-time.html
In a nutshell: Spirit Airlines is making a name for itself as a very, very low-cost flight provider, but unfortunately has quite a streak of tardy flights attached to that reputation.
Why it matters: We've got to give our audiences the idea that we stick to our commitments and guarantee on-schedule flights with at little hassle as possible, and make sure that said audiences think of that, among other traits, when they think of Air Pacific.
"Alaska Airlines adding three new transcontinental destinations"
By John Gillie
The News Tribune
February 11th, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/02/11/3040935/alaska-airlines-adding-three-new.html
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines will add three new, nonstop transcontinental routes--New Orleans, Louisiana and Tampa, Florida (in June) and Detroit, Michigan (in September).
Why it matters: For those potential customers whose vacation plans extend beyond the confines of the west coast and Midwest, it might be wise to think of the Northeast and Southeastern corners of the country for possible route expansion.
"Storm in Southeast causes flight cancellations in San Diego"
By Nancy Aziz
The CW San Diego-6
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/storm-in-southeast-causes-flight-cancellations-in-san-diego-20140213
In a nutshell: A massive storm hitting the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions has caused quite a lot of disruption for airline travel, including flights bound from San Diego. 3300 flights were cancelled because of those conditions.
Why it matters: Contrary to the previous news story, this is another indicator that there are times where we show our customers and passengers that when it comes to travel and weather conditions, we're just as paranoid as they are.
*Now, I know I came up short on one story (thus depriving myself of meeting the minimum), but to be fair, of all the stories I dug for, let's just say it was a bit of a slow news week.
"Why yes, it's....time for more Air-Pac Media Monitoring."
"Airport expansion plan moving forward"
By David Garrick
U-T San Diego
February 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/10/carlsbad-palomar-airport-runway-expand-proposal/
In a nutshell: San Diego county officials are moving forward with plans to expand the runway at McLellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, which is one of the only two airports (the other being Lindbergh Field) that offer commercial service. It would supposedly, among other possible benefits, solve certain noise and safety issues.
Why it matters: When we're considering possible locations where our flights can be offered outside the more larger airports, it might be good to consider where we could expand our reach to smaller and more local airports.
"Spirit Airlines Passengers Go for Cheap Tickets Over Time"
By J. Kyle O'Donnell
Bloomberg.com
February 10th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-11/spirit-airlines-passengers-go-for-cheap-tickets-over-time.html
In a nutshell: Spirit Airlines is making a name for itself as a very, very low-cost flight provider, but unfortunately has quite a streak of tardy flights attached to that reputation.
Why it matters: We've got to give our audiences the idea that we stick to our commitments and guarantee on-schedule flights with at little hassle as possible, and make sure that said audiences think of that, among other traits, when they think of Air Pacific.
"Alaska Airlines adding three new transcontinental destinations"
By John Gillie
The News Tribune
February 11th, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/02/11/3040935/alaska-airlines-adding-three-new.html
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines will add three new, nonstop transcontinental routes--New Orleans, Louisiana and Tampa, Florida (in June) and Detroit, Michigan (in September).
Why it matters: For those potential customers whose vacation plans extend beyond the confines of the west coast and Midwest, it might be wise to think of the Northeast and Southeastern corners of the country for possible route expansion.
"Storm in Southeast causes flight cancellations in San Diego"
By Nancy Aziz
The CW San Diego-6
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/storm-in-southeast-causes-flight-cancellations-in-san-diego-20140213
In a nutshell: A massive storm hitting the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions has caused quite a lot of disruption for airline travel, including flights bound from San Diego. 3300 flights were cancelled because of those conditions.
Why it matters: Contrary to the previous news story, this is another indicator that there are times where we show our customers and passengers that when it comes to travel and weather conditions, we're just as paranoid as they are.
*Now, I know I came up short on one story (thus depriving myself of meeting the minimum), but to be fair, of all the stories I dug for, let's just say it was a bit of a slow news week.
Monday, February 10, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VI
Another recap to cap the week off (see what I did there?), this time an overall focus on PR and diversity, both on the national and international scales.
From Chapter 11
Since not all audiences are the same, and due to the vast numbers of different cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic groups, PR initiatives must be planned carefully to appeal to each one in a different manner. With the case of the United States alone, it's estimated that by 2050 these varying minorities will make up the majority of the population. Yet thanks to recent technological and research innovations, these audiences can be divvied up in ways that can allow PR experts to understand their characteristics more intricately and thus communicate better with them, and help those same PR specialists become more culturally literate in the process.
Right now, the top three major ethnic groups living in the United States are Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American, each with their own values that need to be understood greatly by the pros. These three groups, according to some studies, are very family-based and community-oriented. Their media outlets are greatly on the rise, evidenced, for example, by the number of Spanish-based media groups out there. Spanish, continuing the example, is thus the go-to language despite younger generations being more bilingual.
On the subject of generations, that idea constitutes the fact that because audiences are generational, their varying values, needs and interests need to be gauged accordingly. In addition to the great number of young people, PR experts need to deal with the great wave of soon-to-retire baby boomers and seniors, who tend to be more affluent (which is why travel and tourism tend to do such great business year-round). With figuring out the requirements of each side, the preferred media channels need to be determined; while young people are mostly online and on their cell phones, seniors still go for traditional newspaper and TV news as their mediums of choice.
Gender and lifestyle tend to complicate PR efforts even further. Since women are 50 percent of the workforce, spend the most disposable income of a family, and are more frequent on social media, they hold much more sway than any of the previously-mentioned groups combined. The LGBT community, being a bit more affluent and well-educated, are given much focus from PR and marketing programs. Religious groups are a tough fish to catch, since they straddle the line between conservative (greatly exemplified by the Christian Right) and liberal. The disability community is more the equivalent of walking on a frozen lake--it needs to be tread upon lightly, but with more sensitivity and well thought-out tactics.
From Chapters 20
In the modern globalized world of today, PR deals with all rungs on the ladder, from customers/employees/vendors to communities and governments. Due to this landscape's conditions, PR is very well-developed globally, particularly in China (with a reputation like theirs, they'd need all the PR they could get).
PR firms represent clients two ways: either for foreign interests in the United States, or for American corporations across the world. PR experts need to deal with the language and cultural barriers when practicing in another country, and sometimes even ethical issues. Much of the effort done for governments and companies involve lobbying, whether it be one nation's elected officials or government agencies big and small, for many different matters. Nations (like the aforementioned China) utilize PR on a global scale to bring their public image up and increase their influence over various international and regional groups or organizations. Nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) are seen as very credible on issues regarding health, the environment, and labor, in the eyes of the news media and the public that watches said media, due to the perception that they don't have the attitude of self-interest possessed by corporations and governments. It is because of those views that larger corporations are finding the courage to cooperate with NGO's to adopt policies that would make them seem more socially responsible.
In the governmental context, the goal is to greatly influence foreign policies of other nations and the opinions/actions of their respective peoples (such as tourism, trade policies, and foreign investment). United States-based PR firms are recruited to work for foreign governments in some cases, be it in peacetime or when conflict is going on between two nations (where PR is used by both sides to justify their actions). The US government, in its attempts to bolster its international information efforts, gave this approach an appropriate moniker: public diplomacy, the activities by which the goal is to promote the understanding of US culture while promoting US foreign policy objectives (one such example of this effort being the Voice of America radio broadcast programs).
Many skills have become required due to the expanding reach of PR across the world: language fluency, international relations, global marketing, socio-economic geography, and cross-cultural communication.
From Chapter 21
Things are greatly different for PR when it involves all things nonprofit, health, and education (and everything in-between).
In the nonprofit sector, organizations are tax-exempt because of their goals of bettering their members or the overall human condition. With fundraising, the PR muscles of these groups are greatly flexed (in the form of communications campaigns requiring a large, sometimes all-volunteer staff). Partnerships with other members are a must for the common goal, resulting in much competition between groups for donations. (Aggravated further by differing opinions held by each organization.)
In membership groups, the membership consists of people with common interests, and can be made up of labor unions, trade groups, chambers of commerce, and professional associations. Advocacy groups usually fight in the name of varying social causes, with methods such as lobbying, litigation, large mass demonstrations/boycotts, reconciliation efforts, and public education. Social service groups usually set out to develop public awareness, convincing people to use their services offered, making educational material, gathering volunteers, and of course raising funds.
Health organizations such as hospitals or certain agencies specialize in the health needs of the public at large, and employ PR specialists to spread the word about medical advances, availability, and potential health risks to be on the lookout for. Educational groups, especially on the college/university level, focus on, among other things, raising the reputation of the institution, aiming all efforts at alumni, students current and prospective, faculty/staff, the government, and the public at large.
On the subject of fundraising, this is of great focus as most nonprofits seek out large companies and individuals alike for contributions large and small. Recruiting volunteers is also pressing, and it allows the community to help the nonprofit reach its goals.
From Chapter 11
Since not all audiences are the same, and due to the vast numbers of different cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic groups, PR initiatives must be planned carefully to appeal to each one in a different manner. With the case of the United States alone, it's estimated that by 2050 these varying minorities will make up the majority of the population. Yet thanks to recent technological and research innovations, these audiences can be divvied up in ways that can allow PR experts to understand their characteristics more intricately and thus communicate better with them, and help those same PR specialists become more culturally literate in the process.
Right now, the top three major ethnic groups living in the United States are Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American, each with their own values that need to be understood greatly by the pros. These three groups, according to some studies, are very family-based and community-oriented. Their media outlets are greatly on the rise, evidenced, for example, by the number of Spanish-based media groups out there. Spanish, continuing the example, is thus the go-to language despite younger generations being more bilingual.
On the subject of generations, that idea constitutes the fact that because audiences are generational, their varying values, needs and interests need to be gauged accordingly. In addition to the great number of young people, PR experts need to deal with the great wave of soon-to-retire baby boomers and seniors, who tend to be more affluent (which is why travel and tourism tend to do such great business year-round). With figuring out the requirements of each side, the preferred media channels need to be determined; while young people are mostly online and on their cell phones, seniors still go for traditional newspaper and TV news as their mediums of choice.
Gender and lifestyle tend to complicate PR efforts even further. Since women are 50 percent of the workforce, spend the most disposable income of a family, and are more frequent on social media, they hold much more sway than any of the previously-mentioned groups combined. The LGBT community, being a bit more affluent and well-educated, are given much focus from PR and marketing programs. Religious groups are a tough fish to catch, since they straddle the line between conservative (greatly exemplified by the Christian Right) and liberal. The disability community is more the equivalent of walking on a frozen lake--it needs to be tread upon lightly, but with more sensitivity and well thought-out tactics.
From Chapters 20
In the modern globalized world of today, PR deals with all rungs on the ladder, from customers/employees/vendors to communities and governments. Due to this landscape's conditions, PR is very well-developed globally, particularly in China (with a reputation like theirs, they'd need all the PR they could get).
PR firms represent clients two ways: either for foreign interests in the United States, or for American corporations across the world. PR experts need to deal with the language and cultural barriers when practicing in another country, and sometimes even ethical issues. Much of the effort done for governments and companies involve lobbying, whether it be one nation's elected officials or government agencies big and small, for many different matters. Nations (like the aforementioned China) utilize PR on a global scale to bring their public image up and increase their influence over various international and regional groups or organizations. Nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) are seen as very credible on issues regarding health, the environment, and labor, in the eyes of the news media and the public that watches said media, due to the perception that they don't have the attitude of self-interest possessed by corporations and governments. It is because of those views that larger corporations are finding the courage to cooperate with NGO's to adopt policies that would make them seem more socially responsible.
In the governmental context, the goal is to greatly influence foreign policies of other nations and the opinions/actions of their respective peoples (such as tourism, trade policies, and foreign investment). United States-based PR firms are recruited to work for foreign governments in some cases, be it in peacetime or when conflict is going on between two nations (where PR is used by both sides to justify their actions). The US government, in its attempts to bolster its international information efforts, gave this approach an appropriate moniker: public diplomacy, the activities by which the goal is to promote the understanding of US culture while promoting US foreign policy objectives (one such example of this effort being the Voice of America radio broadcast programs).
Many skills have become required due to the expanding reach of PR across the world: language fluency, international relations, global marketing, socio-economic geography, and cross-cultural communication.
From Chapter 21
Things are greatly different for PR when it involves all things nonprofit, health, and education (and everything in-between).
In the nonprofit sector, organizations are tax-exempt because of their goals of bettering their members or the overall human condition. With fundraising, the PR muscles of these groups are greatly flexed (in the form of communications campaigns requiring a large, sometimes all-volunteer staff). Partnerships with other members are a must for the common goal, resulting in much competition between groups for donations. (Aggravated further by differing opinions held by each organization.)
In membership groups, the membership consists of people with common interests, and can be made up of labor unions, trade groups, chambers of commerce, and professional associations. Advocacy groups usually fight in the name of varying social causes, with methods such as lobbying, litigation, large mass demonstrations/boycotts, reconciliation efforts, and public education. Social service groups usually set out to develop public awareness, convincing people to use their services offered, making educational material, gathering volunteers, and of course raising funds.
Health organizations such as hospitals or certain agencies specialize in the health needs of the public at large, and employ PR specialists to spread the word about medical advances, availability, and potential health risks to be on the lookout for. Educational groups, especially on the college/university level, focus on, among other things, raising the reputation of the institution, aiming all efforts at alumni, students current and prospective, faculty/staff, the government, and the public at large.
On the subject of fundraising, this is of great focus as most nonprofits seek out large companies and individuals alike for contributions large and small. Recruiting volunteers is also pressing, and it allows the community to help the nonprofit reach its goals.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Five (February 3rd-7th, 2014)
Time for more media monitoring! (Don't you just love the news...?)
"Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'"
By Richard Westcott
BBC News, Business
February 3rd, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25733346
In a nutshell: Stemming from an incident at San Diego International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that lithium-ion batteries could cause potential fire hazards on planes.
Why it matters: This could be a great inspiration for Air Pacific to outline a formal flight safety plan, and get customer feedback on what could and can't work in it.
"Southwest Airlines to Add New Routes From San Diego"
KPBS-San Diego
February 4th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/04/southwest-airlines-add-new-routes-san-diego/
In a nutshell: Southwest Airlines announced it will add new flight routes from San Diego once federal limits on the airline's home airport are lifted, putting it head-to-head with American and Delta.
Why it matters: It gives a good indicator of how big a competition we'll be up against once we ourselves enter the race for airport space.
"San Diego County Considers Tighter Flight School Rules"
By Greg Bledsoe, Elena Gomez, and R. Stickney
NBC-7 San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-County-Considers-Tighter-Flight-School-Rules-243697601.html#ixzz2sfqpZx49
In a nutshell: New regulations are being considered by San Diego County that would require flight schools to do background checks on foreign-born students.
Why it matters: This could either prove beneficial or limiting to the 'talent pool' we would have to choose from when hiring our airline's pilots.
"Foreign travel soars at Lindbergh Field"
By Chris Nichols
U-T San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/05/san-diego-international-airport-lindbergh-field/
In a nutshell: "Last year was a record breaker for international travel at Lindbergh Field, driven by the San Diego aviation hub’s first-ever nonstop route to Japan and greater demand for service to Mexico, officials said this week."
Why it matters: Once we launch and become established and successful enough in our initial year in operation, we're going to have to consider our international travel options at some point.
"Southwest Airlines just got even friendlier with craft brew service"
By John Verive
The L.A. Times
February 6th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-southwest-airlines-just-got-even-friendlier-with-craft-brews-20140206,0,3215683.story#ixzz2sfsOuglH
In a nutshell: Southwest has partnered with New Belgium Brewing to bring craft beer to their flights.
Why it matters: Since we live in an area of the U.S. where craft and micro brewing is popular with people, it might be good to consider partnering with some local breweries to help us plan out our in-flight menu....
"Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'"
By Richard Westcott
BBC News, Business
February 3rd, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25733346
In a nutshell: Stemming from an incident at San Diego International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that lithium-ion batteries could cause potential fire hazards on planes.
Why it matters: This could be a great inspiration for Air Pacific to outline a formal flight safety plan, and get customer feedback on what could and can't work in it.
"Southwest Airlines to Add New Routes From San Diego"
KPBS-San Diego
February 4th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/04/southwest-airlines-add-new-routes-san-diego/
In a nutshell: Southwest Airlines announced it will add new flight routes from San Diego once federal limits on the airline's home airport are lifted, putting it head-to-head with American and Delta.
Why it matters: It gives a good indicator of how big a competition we'll be up against once we ourselves enter the race for airport space.
"San Diego County Considers Tighter Flight School Rules"
By Greg Bledsoe, Elena Gomez, and R. Stickney
NBC-7 San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-County-Considers-Tighter-Flight-School-Rules-243697601.html#ixzz2sfqpZx49
In a nutshell: New regulations are being considered by San Diego County that would require flight schools to do background checks on foreign-born students.
Why it matters: This could either prove beneficial or limiting to the 'talent pool' we would have to choose from when hiring our airline's pilots.
"Foreign travel soars at Lindbergh Field"
By Chris Nichols
U-T San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/05/san-diego-international-airport-lindbergh-field/
In a nutshell: "Last year was a record breaker for international travel at Lindbergh Field, driven by the San Diego aviation hub’s first-ever nonstop route to Japan and greater demand for service to Mexico, officials said this week."
Why it matters: Once we launch and become established and successful enough in our initial year in operation, we're going to have to consider our international travel options at some point.
"Southwest Airlines just got even friendlier with craft brew service"
By John Verive
The L.A. Times
February 6th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-southwest-airlines-just-got-even-friendlier-with-craft-brews-20140206,0,3215683.story#ixzz2sfsOuglH
In a nutshell: Southwest has partnered with New Belgium Brewing to bring craft beer to their flights.
Why it matters: Since we live in an area of the U.S. where craft and micro brewing is popular with people, it might be good to consider partnering with some local breweries to help us plan out our in-flight menu....
Sunday, February 2, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part V
Iiiiiiitttt's recap time! Today we focus on a mass medium that's become accepted faster than its brethren: the Internet, and with it one of its most prominent 'regions', social media.
From Chapter 13
The internet, aka the World Wide Web, is unique in that it's taken the shortest amount of time to be adopted by people the world over. It's also probably the most 'free' of the world's mass mediums in that it allows anyone to distribute and receive information of varying types and amounts, no matter the location, without the need for a middleman. Among the myriads of users of the Web are public relations specialists, since the internet can function as both an information hub and a research tool. In and of itself, the Web maintains such a reputation because it is easily updated almost every day, serves as a quick funnel for information at instantaneous speeds, has a near-infinite amount of available space, and allows people to interact with one another no matter the distance. These days, such interaction can be done via webcasting, where audio and video are streamed in real time over a website; it is greatly used by many organizations for news conferences, employee training, and a variety of other functions.
A new territory currently being explored in this vast, relatively new medium is social media, a spawn of what's been dubbed "Web 2.0". It's in this field that most internet content is consumer-generated, and with it comes an opportunity for PR professionals to both gain feedback from, and build relationships with, their customer base. There are many different types of social media at their disposal:
From Chapter 13
The internet, aka the World Wide Web, is unique in that it's taken the shortest amount of time to be adopted by people the world over. It's also probably the most 'free' of the world's mass mediums in that it allows anyone to distribute and receive information of varying types and amounts, no matter the location, without the need for a middleman. Among the myriads of users of the Web are public relations specialists, since the internet can function as both an information hub and a research tool. In and of itself, the Web maintains such a reputation because it is easily updated almost every day, serves as a quick funnel for information at instantaneous speeds, has a near-infinite amount of available space, and allows people to interact with one another no matter the distance. These days, such interaction can be done via webcasting, where audio and video are streamed in real time over a website; it is greatly used by many organizations for news conferences, employee training, and a variety of other functions.
A new territory currently being explored in this vast, relatively new medium is social media, a spawn of what's been dubbed "Web 2.0". It's in this field that most internet content is consumer-generated, and with it comes an opportunity for PR professionals to both gain feedback from, and build relationships with, their customer base. There are many different types of social media at their disposal:
- Blogs, going back as far as 1998, are now accepted among the mainstream due to its usefulness for small businesses and larger companies. They aren't costly, the content is mostly informal in nature, it can serve as a link to other pages, and readers can comment on whichever posts are interesting to them. PR-wise, there are three blog categories in the corporate blogosphere: corporate, employee, and third party.
- Social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace (is it even relevant anymore?), designed to connect friends and family alike, can also serve PR people in that they can gain customer insights, build brand awareness on an unprecedented scale, and generate consumer loyalty instantly. The only catch is that the PR material needs to be subtle, yet creative, in order to make a splash with the audience.
- YouTube, a social networking site specializing in video clips (and even whole videos), are great for organizations to spread their message along with actually giving their customer base something to look at. Whatever video content they create, however, must be engaging and creative enough to strike a chord with whoever is watching it.
- Flickr, a site specializing in sharing photographs, is a challenge for organizations due to their rule against trying to use the site as a platform for selling products or services. PR people have found ways to get around this, with one such method being getting a photographer to share a photo they've taken on the organization's Flickr page.
- Text messaging allows organizations and PR staff to get in touch with employees, customers, and certain audiences in a fast manner, either by broadcast text, subscription text, or the one-off text. The most well-known form of text messaging is via Twitter, where messages must be under 140 characters.
- Wikis, named for the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, are collections of web pages that can be updated or modified by anyone.
- Podcasts, either audio or video, are played over the internet via RSS feeds, with a name originating from Apple's iPod and broadcast. They're cost-effective, able to be accessed 24/7, and portable, hence their popularity among smartphone and MP3 device users. For PR specialists and their client organizations, whatever podcasts they conceive need to be informative in a conversational manner.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Four (January 27th-31st, 2014)
It's that time again, a recap of all things in the airline industry during the week--by way of San Diego.
"Alaska Air Group, Inc. Is Flying into Headwinds"
By Adam Levine-Weinberg, The Motley Fool
DailyFinance.com
January 27th, 2014
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/01/27/alaska-air-group-inc-is-flying-into-headwinds/
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines is going to be challenged financially this year due to heightened competition and the possibility of becoming a victim of its own five-year successes.
Why this matters: When Air Pacific finally launches, and we get a good evaluation of our first year in business, we'll need to see what kind of challenges await that could make or break us.
"San Diego International Airport Breaks International Passenger Record"
KUSI San Diego
January 28th, 2014
http://www.kusi.com/story/24566346/san-diego-international-airport-breaks-international-passenger-record
In a nutshell: San Diego International broke a record for the number of internationally-traveling passengers for the second year in a row in 2013.
Why it matters: Think about the potential number of passengers we could bring in should we expand our routes to locations outside the United States.....
"Fog prompts LAX to divert flights to Ontario, San Diego"
By Brian Sumers
The L.A. Times
January 29th, 2014
http://www.sgvtribune.com/general-news/20140129/fog-prompts-lax-to-divert-flights-to-ontario-san-diego
In a nutshell: Morning fog caused a series of delays and divergences for many flights to and from LAX, Ontario International Airport, and San Diego International.
Why it matters: As a newcomer to the airline industry, we ought to showcase how much we are prepared for any and all varieties of weather conditions that could affect our passengers' travel plans.
"San Diego Airport Figures Show Passengers Putting Recession Behind Them"
By City News Service
KPBS San Diego
January 30th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jan/30/san-diego-airport-figures-show-passengers-putting-/
In a nutshell: Figures released by the San Diego Regional Airport Authority have shown that passengers are no longer hasty about flying more for travel, as the amount of international travelers has gone up significantly.
Why it matters: This affords us an opportunity to take advantage of this newfound sense of consumer confidence in getting people in our soaring seats.
"Southwest Airlines International Routes Begin July 1; Three Flights to Tropical Locations"
By Justin Stock
The Franchise-Herald
January 31st, 2014
http://www.franchiseherald.com/articles/4720/20140127/southwest-airlines-international-routes-begin-july-1-three-flights-to-tropical-locations.htm
In a nutshell: Southwest has set a start date for three new international routes, all tropical vacation spots: Aruba, the Bahamas, Montego Bay, and Nassau.
Why it matters: Should our airline successfully make it off the ground (no pun intended), it would be in our interest to consider the possibility of international destinations as well as domestic--especially for vacationers.
"Alaska Air Group, Inc. Is Flying into Headwinds"
By Adam Levine-Weinberg, The Motley Fool
DailyFinance.com
January 27th, 2014
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/01/27/alaska-air-group-inc-is-flying-into-headwinds/
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines is going to be challenged financially this year due to heightened competition and the possibility of becoming a victim of its own five-year successes.
Why this matters: When Air Pacific finally launches, and we get a good evaluation of our first year in business, we'll need to see what kind of challenges await that could make or break us.
"San Diego International Airport Breaks International Passenger Record"
KUSI San Diego
January 28th, 2014
http://www.kusi.com/story/24566346/san-diego-international-airport-breaks-international-passenger-record
In a nutshell: San Diego International broke a record for the number of internationally-traveling passengers for the second year in a row in 2013.
Why it matters: Think about the potential number of passengers we could bring in should we expand our routes to locations outside the United States.....
"Fog prompts LAX to divert flights to Ontario, San Diego"
By Brian Sumers
The L.A. Times
January 29th, 2014
http://www.sgvtribune.com/general-news/20140129/fog-prompts-lax-to-divert-flights-to-ontario-san-diego
In a nutshell: Morning fog caused a series of delays and divergences for many flights to and from LAX, Ontario International Airport, and San Diego International.
Why it matters: As a newcomer to the airline industry, we ought to showcase how much we are prepared for any and all varieties of weather conditions that could affect our passengers' travel plans.
"San Diego Airport Figures Show Passengers Putting Recession Behind Them"
By City News Service
KPBS San Diego
January 30th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jan/30/san-diego-airport-figures-show-passengers-putting-/
In a nutshell: Figures released by the San Diego Regional Airport Authority have shown that passengers are no longer hasty about flying more for travel, as the amount of international travelers has gone up significantly.
Why it matters: This affords us an opportunity to take advantage of this newfound sense of consumer confidence in getting people in our soaring seats.
"Southwest Airlines International Routes Begin July 1; Three Flights to Tropical Locations"
By Justin Stock
The Franchise-Herald
January 31st, 2014
http://www.franchiseherald.com/articles/4720/20140127/southwest-airlines-international-routes-begin-july-1-three-flights-to-tropical-locations.htm
In a nutshell: Southwest has set a start date for three new international routes, all tropical vacation spots: Aruba, the Bahamas, Montego Bay, and Nassau.
Why it matters: Should our airline successfully make it off the ground (no pun intended), it would be in our interest to consider the possibility of international destinations as well as domestic--especially for vacationers.
Monday, January 27, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part IV
Back again with another recap, this time delving into the untamed wilds of mass media, with a later, special emphasis on the mediums of radio and television.
From Chapter 14
Other tools used in the arsenal of mass media PR include publicity photos, used in order to make a news release more presentable (they need to look their best in high-res-and-composition formats; being in color doesn't hurt as well); media kits, in analog (a folder with select contents) or electronic (EPK's, on CD, e-mail, or as web content); mat releases, which focuses on a feature angle and not hard news (and found mostly in the non-national or international sections of a newspaper); and media alerts or fact sheets, with the former giving journalists a tip-off on news conferences or photo-ops, and the latter focusing on the who/what/when/where/why/how of an event, person, product, or organization.
On this next bit of information, let me ask a question--what does a PR specialist have in common with a baseball player and a sitcom writer? All have a deep understanding of the art of the PITCH. (Get it? Thank you, I'll be here till Thursday. Have the beef.) Strictly in the PR context, a specialist needs to pitch story ideas about their employer/client to the journalists or editors they want to spread the word about them, over either email, phone, or text messages and Tweets--the latter of which might be quite the challenge, I mean you'd have to be really skilled to carve out a good pitch in 140 characters or less.
In finding a good means to getting the media materials out to the journalistic community, PR specialists turn to electronic news outlets such as Business Wire, or even the 'online newsroom' of their client organization's website for possible avenues. Media interviews are also used by PR people to facilitate conversation between their clientele and the journalist community, while making sure, via training, that said clients are prepared for the most likely of interview questions. News conferences tend to be rare nowadays, usually only in the event that a story is big enough to warrant one; PR personnel take charge of all the logistics and the arrangements to be made for such events. Media tours/press 'parties' tend to be more common today, where for the former, company executives meet with editors to discuss a new product or campaign, while the latter lives up to its name by being a social gathering where the organization's members meet with the press to develop good relations.
From Chapter 15
Radio and television are the two electronic mediums that have, for the longest time, had the most reach among the general public on a 24/7 basis. Despite the ever-growing number of internet users, most people have their eyes glued to the television set. Both mediums have their own standards when it comes to PR campaigns.
With radio, audio news releases need to be written for the listener's ear and must last under a minute when broadcast. The audio news release (ANR) does such a thing with only the announcer and a sound bite (usually a quote) from a spokesperson. Public Service Announcements (PSAs), which are also utilized by television, are usually nonprofit and informative in nature, mostly dealing with health concerns and civic events; their lengths tend to vary depending on the subject. Radio Media Tours (RMTs) are usually seven-minute-long interviews with a spokesperson by journalists from around the country from a centralized location.
In television, they rely on video news releases (VNRs) to get the message across. They're also the more expensive, but their potential to reach massive audiences through many visual avenues outweighs the costs most of the time. They are usually made on B-rolls (compilations of video clips and sound bites) and utilized by television stations. What separate television PSAs from their radio-based cousins is evident in that they tend to be more visual, but still have audio present. Compared to RMTs, satellite media tours (SMTs) give television newscasters the advantage of actually seeing the interviewee. News feeds allow an organization to give out instant coverage of an event, either in "real time" or an edited broadcast for use on another occasion.
Both mediums have certain standards for guest appearances and product placement. With the former, guests on talk shows or magazine shows need to be knowledgeable and pleasant in personality, while giving well-thought-out answers. In the latter, companies for-and-non-profit compete for space by making deals with television or film producers to get their message seen and heard. Sometimes radio and television stations help to sponsor civic events alongside an organization.
From Chapter 14
In the context of mass media tools, the most-used is the news release, which is distributed to journalists and editors alike to be used in their columns. These must be accurately-written, informatively-written, and most importantly journalistically-written (and there is a specific style for doing so); all need to be written as if they were asking a few basic questions:
- What's the key message?
- Who's the main audience?
- What does said audience gain?
- What goal does the release achieve?
- Will a news release be necessary for the info presented?
Other tools used in the arsenal of mass media PR include publicity photos, used in order to make a news release more presentable (they need to look their best in high-res-and-composition formats; being in color doesn't hurt as well); media kits, in analog (a folder with select contents) or electronic (EPK's, on CD, e-mail, or as web content); mat releases, which focuses on a feature angle and not hard news (and found mostly in the non-national or international sections of a newspaper); and media alerts or fact sheets, with the former giving journalists a tip-off on news conferences or photo-ops, and the latter focusing on the who/what/when/where/why/how of an event, person, product, or organization.
On this next bit of information, let me ask a question--what does a PR specialist have in common with a baseball player and a sitcom writer? All have a deep understanding of the art of the PITCH. (Get it? Thank you, I'll be here till Thursday. Have the beef.) Strictly in the PR context, a specialist needs to pitch story ideas about their employer/client to the journalists or editors they want to spread the word about them, over either email, phone, or text messages and Tweets--the latter of which might be quite the challenge, I mean you'd have to be really skilled to carve out a good pitch in 140 characters or less.
In finding a good means to getting the media materials out to the journalistic community, PR specialists turn to electronic news outlets such as Business Wire, or even the 'online newsroom' of their client organization's website for possible avenues. Media interviews are also used by PR people to facilitate conversation between their clientele and the journalist community, while making sure, via training, that said clients are prepared for the most likely of interview questions. News conferences tend to be rare nowadays, usually only in the event that a story is big enough to warrant one; PR personnel take charge of all the logistics and the arrangements to be made for such events. Media tours/press 'parties' tend to be more common today, where for the former, company executives meet with editors to discuss a new product or campaign, while the latter lives up to its name by being a social gathering where the organization's members meet with the press to develop good relations.
From Chapter 15
Radio and television are the two electronic mediums that have, for the longest time, had the most reach among the general public on a 24/7 basis. Despite the ever-growing number of internet users, most people have their eyes glued to the television set. Both mediums have their own standards when it comes to PR campaigns.
With radio, audio news releases need to be written for the listener's ear and must last under a minute when broadcast. The audio news release (ANR) does such a thing with only the announcer and a sound bite (usually a quote) from a spokesperson. Public Service Announcements (PSAs), which are also utilized by television, are usually nonprofit and informative in nature, mostly dealing with health concerns and civic events; their lengths tend to vary depending on the subject. Radio Media Tours (RMTs) are usually seven-minute-long interviews with a spokesperson by journalists from around the country from a centralized location.
In television, they rely on video news releases (VNRs) to get the message across. They're also the more expensive, but their potential to reach massive audiences through many visual avenues outweighs the costs most of the time. They are usually made on B-rolls (compilations of video clips and sound bites) and utilized by television stations. What separate television PSAs from their radio-based cousins is evident in that they tend to be more visual, but still have audio present. Compared to RMTs, satellite media tours (SMTs) give television newscasters the advantage of actually seeing the interviewee. News feeds allow an organization to give out instant coverage of an event, either in "real time" or an edited broadcast for use on another occasion.
Both mediums have certain standards for guest appearances and product placement. With the former, guests on talk shows or magazine shows need to be knowledgeable and pleasant in personality, while giving well-thought-out answers. In the latter, companies for-and-non-profit compete for space by making deals with television or film producers to get their message seen and heard. Sometimes radio and television stations help to sponsor civic events alongside an organization.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Three (January 20th-24th, 2014)
Here I am, back again with another recap of any and all (just five) news stories pertaining not only to the airline industry, but to where my market of choice, San Diego, is involved. Let's look back:
"Some flights at San Diego's Lindbergh Field to East Coast canceled or delayed"
ABC-10 News
January 21st, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/some-flights-at-san-diegos-lindbergh-field-to-east-coast-canceled-or-delayed-012114
In a nutshell: Several flights between San Diego and certain Northeastern US destinations have been cancelled due to the persistence of what's been dubbed "Winter Storm Janus". The airlines most affected were American, US Airways, United, and Jet Blue.
Why it matters: As an airline seeking to maintain good relations with our customer base, we should be committed to ensuring that quick updates regarding problems large and small, which may affect our flights as soon as they become apparent, should reach customers as soon as possible.
"Record number of travelers served by PDX in 2013"
The Columbian
January 22nd, 2014, 6 AM
http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/jan/22/record-number-travelers-pdx-2013/
In a nutshell: This briefly details Portland International Airport's new record of serving 15 million passengers in 2013, due to economic improvements, an unforeseen increase in travel during the month of December, and the expansion of route choices for travelers.
Why it matters: It mentions that with the continued growth of the airport, more routes will be added, with Southwest launching new nonstop service to many cities, including San Diego. We'll need to throw our name into the hat if we want to take advantage of this chance to be part of that growth.
"How to Donate Miles to Wishes in Flight"
NBC-7 San Diego
January 21st, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/contact-us/community/wishes-in-flight-make-a-wish-san-diego-188238871.html#ixzz2rLwQygpG
In a nutshell: This goes into detail about the most recent NBC "Wishes In Flight" Mile-A-Thon, a campaign where nearly-expired airline miles are collected by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in partnership with major U.S. Airlines.
Why it matters: Engaging in a similar campaign will give us a great deal of positive publicity.
"Tijuana Airport Parking, Just Over the Border"
By Billy Witz
The New York Times
January 19th, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/20/business/international/tijuana-airport-parking-just-over-the-border.html?_r=1
In a nutshell: In San Diego, private investors on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are funding the construction of a bridge to Tijuana International Airport, as a less-costly alternative to the usually packed, one-runway San Diego Airport.
Why it matters: It would be wise to observe this development as it may have a big impact on the San Diego portion of Air Pacific's market quadrants.
"Protesters rally against Southwest & SeaWorld"
CBS-8 San Diego
January 19th, 2014
http://www.cbs8.com/story/24494220/protesters-rally-against-southwest-seaworld
In a nutshell: Southwest's partnership with SeaWorld has come under fire due to the release of the documentary film Blackfish, which criticizes the treatment of Killer Whales in captivity. Southwest has Orcas painted on some of its planes.
Why it matters: We need to show our potential customers and passengers that we care about the environment and the animal kingdoms as much as they do, and it would also give us a better incentive to find more eco-friendly partners.
"Some flights at San Diego's Lindbergh Field to East Coast canceled or delayed"
ABC-10 News
January 21st, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/some-flights-at-san-diegos-lindbergh-field-to-east-coast-canceled-or-delayed-012114
In a nutshell: Several flights between San Diego and certain Northeastern US destinations have been cancelled due to the persistence of what's been dubbed "Winter Storm Janus". The airlines most affected were American, US Airways, United, and Jet Blue.
Why it matters: As an airline seeking to maintain good relations with our customer base, we should be committed to ensuring that quick updates regarding problems large and small, which may affect our flights as soon as they become apparent, should reach customers as soon as possible.
"Record number of travelers served by PDX in 2013"
The Columbian
January 22nd, 2014, 6 AM
http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/jan/22/record-number-travelers-pdx-2013/
In a nutshell: This briefly details Portland International Airport's new record of serving 15 million passengers in 2013, due to economic improvements, an unforeseen increase in travel during the month of December, and the expansion of route choices for travelers.
Why it matters: It mentions that with the continued growth of the airport, more routes will be added, with Southwest launching new nonstop service to many cities, including San Diego. We'll need to throw our name into the hat if we want to take advantage of this chance to be part of that growth.
"How to Donate Miles to Wishes in Flight"
NBC-7 San Diego
January 21st, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/contact-us/community/wishes-in-flight-make-a-wish-san-diego-188238871.html#ixzz2rLwQygpG
In a nutshell: This goes into detail about the most recent NBC "Wishes In Flight" Mile-A-Thon, a campaign where nearly-expired airline miles are collected by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in partnership with major U.S. Airlines.
Why it matters: Engaging in a similar campaign will give us a great deal of positive publicity.
"Tijuana Airport Parking, Just Over the Border"
By Billy Witz
The New York Times
January 19th, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/20/business/international/tijuana-airport-parking-just-over-the-border.html?_r=1
In a nutshell: In San Diego, private investors on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are funding the construction of a bridge to Tijuana International Airport, as a less-costly alternative to the usually packed, one-runway San Diego Airport.
Why it matters: It would be wise to observe this development as it may have a big impact on the San Diego portion of Air Pacific's market quadrants.
"Protesters rally against Southwest & SeaWorld"
CBS-8 San Diego
January 19th, 2014
http://www.cbs8.com/story/24494220/protesters-rally-against-southwest-seaworld
In a nutshell: Southwest's partnership with SeaWorld has come under fire due to the release of the documentary film Blackfish, which criticizes the treatment of Killer Whales in captivity. Southwest has Orcas painted on some of its planes.
Why it matters: We need to show our potential customers and passengers that we care about the environment and the animal kingdoms as much as they do, and it would also give us a better incentive to find more eco-friendly partners.
Monday, January 20, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part III
Today's post focuses on the last two pieces to the R.A.C.E. acronym, Communication and Evaluation.
From Chapter 7
From Chapter 7
Communication, as in most fields outside of public relations and related areas, is KEY. Otherwise known as execution (and not in the lethal sense), it's the most visible and prominent part of any PR campaign. In order to properly execute it, people need to know A) what makes up communication and how people take in messages, B) how they process said messages and either maintain or change their perceptions, and C) what avenues and tools in media will fit the needs of a certain message. Without that body of knowledge:
Within context, a PR campaign's communications-based objectives fall into the following steps:
- Message Exposure, where personnel give mass media outlets certain materials and spread other messages through in-house media, be it the organization's website (for example) or newsletters.
- Accurate dissemination of message, where it's made sure that the basic gist of the message stays intact as it is dispensed through journalists, editors, bloggers, and other channels.
- Acceptance of message, where the audience takes it to heart and validates it.
- Attitude change, where the audience verbally or mentally commits to change its behavior based on said message.
- Change in overt behavior, where audience members show how much they've changed by actually buying the product or service and putting it to good use.
From Chapter 8
With evaluation, a PR campaign's personnel measure the results against their initial objectives, so as to be better with any future programs they may implement. With said objectives, they need to consist of a criteria agreed upon by the staff so that these objectives can be as feasible as possible. Probably the most common example of measurement of this is found in practitioners taking stock of media placements and message distribution, along with audience awareness/comprehension/retention coming second and finally measurement of changes in audience attitudes/opinions/behaviors. Typical forms of measurement include tabulating the numbers of message 'capsules' given out in a year, as the measurement of their production gives the higher-ups a picture of staff productivity and resulting output.
In measuring message exposure, practices include calculating media impressions and AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency), systematic tracking of coverage for both key messages and those of the competition involved, and evaluating the cost of reaching each audience member.
When measuring audience awareness, surveys are the choice tools for the job. They can also be utilized for measuring audience attitudes, which are also tracked through basic studies. The only difference is they can be done before, during, or after a PR campaign's been implemented. In looking at audience action, a PR campaign is evaluated based on changes in audience behavior via sales, fund-raising, or election of a candidate.
When looking at the supplemental activities of a campaign, pilot tests and split messages pretest a PR effort in order to give a good communication audit. Event attendance is used to measure audience acceptance, as is newsletter readership.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Two (January 13th-17th, 2014)
With the scope narrowing towards the market of my choice (San Diego), this next round of news stories are what I feel to be relevant to Air Pacific's presence in that particular market:
"American Airlines To Implement Network Changes As A Result Of DOJ-Mandated Slot Divestitures"
The Wall Street Journal
January 15th, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140115-911306.html
In a nutshell: This press release details how American Airlines will make many network adjustments in light of recent divestitures of slots and other holdings at Reagan and LaGuardia National Airports.
Why it matters: San Diego was one of the routes no longer receiving year-round daily service from American, so to that market I feel we should present ourselves as willing to fill the void left by American.
"American Nears Washington Flight Sale as Some Routes Are Cut"
By Mary Schlangenstein
Bloomberg News
January 15th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-15/american-airlines-nears-washington-flight-sale-as-routes-are-cut.html
In a nutshell: This covers more of the details of American's divestitures, but also mentions details of which airlines will take over the slots and what routes will become part of the schedule.
Why it matters: It would be beneficial for us to know our competition over the San Diego route.
"American cutting flights to San Diego after merger"
By Associated Press
KPBS
January 15th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jan/15/american-cutting-flights-san-diego-after-merger/
In a nutshell: This is one of the first announcements made about American's merger and the ending of the nonstop San Diego service, among other routes.
Why it matters: It's always a good idea to start from the beginning of a matter before going into the full exploration of it.
"American Airlines cuts flights from Reagan, LaGuardia Airports"
By Reuters
The Chicago Tribune
January 15th, 2014
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-americanairlines-usairways-flights-20140115,0,77124.story
In a nutshell: Same as the KPBS story, but includes details that the merger would result in the nation's largest airline and that American's divestitures came at the behest of Washington lawmakers.
Why it matters: Emphasis on the 'behest of Washington lawmakers'--we're going to need to make sure we don't tread on any legal hurdles that keep us out of the race to making our face known to all.
"Pittsburgh seeks new direct flights"
By Lucy Siebert
Routes News
January 13th, 2014
http://www.routes-news.com/1-news/2299-pittsburgh-seeks-new-direct-flights
In a nutshell: Pittsburgh International Airport's operator launched a new Air Service Incentive program that includes new destinations, among which is San Diego (and Seattle).
Why it matters: The article mentions the airport seeking to greatly serve the community, which is an approach we no doubt shall be taking.
"American Airlines To Implement Network Changes As A Result Of DOJ-Mandated Slot Divestitures"
The Wall Street Journal
January 15th, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140115-911306.html
In a nutshell: This press release details how American Airlines will make many network adjustments in light of recent divestitures of slots and other holdings at Reagan and LaGuardia National Airports.
Why it matters: San Diego was one of the routes no longer receiving year-round daily service from American, so to that market I feel we should present ourselves as willing to fill the void left by American.
"American Nears Washington Flight Sale as Some Routes Are Cut"
By Mary Schlangenstein
Bloomberg News
January 15th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-15/american-airlines-nears-washington-flight-sale-as-routes-are-cut.html
In a nutshell: This covers more of the details of American's divestitures, but also mentions details of which airlines will take over the slots and what routes will become part of the schedule.
Why it matters: It would be beneficial for us to know our competition over the San Diego route.
"American cutting flights to San Diego after merger"
By Associated Press
KPBS
January 15th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jan/15/american-cutting-flights-san-diego-after-merger/
In a nutshell: This is one of the first announcements made about American's merger and the ending of the nonstop San Diego service, among other routes.
Why it matters: It's always a good idea to start from the beginning of a matter before going into the full exploration of it.
"American Airlines cuts flights from Reagan, LaGuardia Airports"
By Reuters
The Chicago Tribune
January 15th, 2014
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-americanairlines-usairways-flights-20140115,0,77124.story
In a nutshell: Same as the KPBS story, but includes details that the merger would result in the nation's largest airline and that American's divestitures came at the behest of Washington lawmakers.
Why it matters: Emphasis on the 'behest of Washington lawmakers'--we're going to need to make sure we don't tread on any legal hurdles that keep us out of the race to making our face known to all.
"Pittsburgh seeks new direct flights"
By Lucy Siebert
Routes News
January 13th, 2014
http://www.routes-news.com/1-news/2299-pittsburgh-seeks-new-direct-flights
In a nutshell: Pittsburgh International Airport's operator launched a new Air Service Incentive program that includes new destinations, among which is San Diego (and Seattle).
Why it matters: The article mentions the airport seeking to greatly serve the community, which is an approach we no doubt shall be taking.
Monday, January 13, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part II
This particular post focuses on the subject of research and planning, or if you wanted to go the technical route, research and development.
From Chapter 5
Research is a key component that no public relations initiative can be without. Information is the key to how well these campaigns work, and well-gathered and interpreted information is a great boon to good PR. Before the research is carried out, though, its overall scope and role needs to be determined, primarily regarding the what and how regarding the kind of information gathered, their target audience, how the information is analyzed, etc. Research ensures a few things for PR agents be they part of a firm or an in-house job: credibility, well-defined audiences and segmented publics, neatly-formulated strategies, highly-tested messages, a well-informed management, averted crises, monitored competition, and much more.
Two types of research are used for this kind of operation. The first falls under the category of quantitative, focusing on the hard data. Within that context, the researcher utilizes both primary (data gathered on one's own) and secondary (already-published data found in sources such as archives, libraries, and databases) research to support any facts compiled for the research. On the qualitative side of things, this is the more 'softer' approach, utilizing techniques involving interviews (intercept or purposive), content analysis, focus groups, copy tests, and ethnographic methods. In quantitative settings, a common method used is the questionnaire, but creating an effective one means taking into account a lot of things: wording, the types of questions used, timing and context, and avoiding 'politically correct' answers as well as giving a range of possible ones. The avenue of getting the questionnaire out to the public is also considered, with such avenues being mail, phone, personal interviews, and omnibus surveys done in-person and on the internet.
From Chapter 6
Planning is what comes after the research has been gone over with a fine-toothed comb, and it is whatever plans and ideas come out that accomplish the goals of the organization. The planning needs to stem from a good strategy, be creative in its approach, and all while keeping the idea of reaching the key audiences in mind, be it to either inform said audiences or really get them to participate. A popular approach to the planning phase is via MBO, Management By Objective, which helps the planners keep a good focus and direction for the entire project, made up of nine steps: know client/employer objectives, determine the audience or public, determine the audience objective(s), find the best media channels, determine the best sources and questions, devise communication strategies, determine the essence of the message, and bring up nonverbal support. Not all PR groups need follow this approach, as some of the time they'll come up with their own models (like how the Ketchum group determined their 'Strategic Planning Model').
That particular note brings up the idea of the PR group and the organization/person acting as their client determining a 'program plan' for the whole operation. It can be anything from a simple outline of the campaign to an extensive (and perhaps lengthy) document detailing everything. Independent firms usually come up with these plans as part of their commission, and within them they address eight key components of the campaign: the situation, the objectives, the target audience, the key strategy, the best tactics, a timeframe in which to accomplish this, a possible budget for the endeavor, and an evaluation of the overall thing.
From Chapter 5
Research is a key component that no public relations initiative can be without. Information is the key to how well these campaigns work, and well-gathered and interpreted information is a great boon to good PR. Before the research is carried out, though, its overall scope and role needs to be determined, primarily regarding the what and how regarding the kind of information gathered, their target audience, how the information is analyzed, etc. Research ensures a few things for PR agents be they part of a firm or an in-house job: credibility, well-defined audiences and segmented publics, neatly-formulated strategies, highly-tested messages, a well-informed management, averted crises, monitored competition, and much more.
Two types of research are used for this kind of operation. The first falls under the category of quantitative, focusing on the hard data. Within that context, the researcher utilizes both primary (data gathered on one's own) and secondary (already-published data found in sources such as archives, libraries, and databases) research to support any facts compiled for the research. On the qualitative side of things, this is the more 'softer' approach, utilizing techniques involving interviews (intercept or purposive), content analysis, focus groups, copy tests, and ethnographic methods. In quantitative settings, a common method used is the questionnaire, but creating an effective one means taking into account a lot of things: wording, the types of questions used, timing and context, and avoiding 'politically correct' answers as well as giving a range of possible ones. The avenue of getting the questionnaire out to the public is also considered, with such avenues being mail, phone, personal interviews, and omnibus surveys done in-person and on the internet.
From Chapter 6
Planning is what comes after the research has been gone over with a fine-toothed comb, and it is whatever plans and ideas come out that accomplish the goals of the organization. The planning needs to stem from a good strategy, be creative in its approach, and all while keeping the idea of reaching the key audiences in mind, be it to either inform said audiences or really get them to participate. A popular approach to the planning phase is via MBO, Management By Objective, which helps the planners keep a good focus and direction for the entire project, made up of nine steps: know client/employer objectives, determine the audience or public, determine the audience objective(s), find the best media channels, determine the best sources and questions, devise communication strategies, determine the essence of the message, and bring up nonverbal support. Not all PR groups need follow this approach, as some of the time they'll come up with their own models (like how the Ketchum group determined their 'Strategic Planning Model').
That particular note brings up the idea of the PR group and the organization/person acting as their client determining a 'program plan' for the whole operation. It can be anything from a simple outline of the campaign to an extensive (and perhaps lengthy) document detailing everything. Independent firms usually come up with these plans as part of their commission, and within them they address eight key components of the campaign: the situation, the objectives, the target audience, the key strategy, the best tactics, a timeframe in which to accomplish this, a possible budget for the endeavor, and an evaluation of the overall thing.
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part I
Well, this week was certainly off to a start--reading about the early beginnings of public relations was enough to make my head spin! Initially, I would have summed up the idea of PR as "people helping to make other people or organizations look good"....but that would've been the cynical approach. (Along with referring to that frequently-used-in-political-context-terms, 'spin doctor'.) Apparently, PR is as much an American institution as rock n' roll music, comic book superheroes, the western film, and the game show--its roots date back to the days of people such as P.T. Barnum, founder of the legendary Barnum and Bailey circus. Yet it is also a very, very complex practice that takes a lot of brainpower, focus, patience, and stamina to make a career out of it. It's hard to get into PR in the birthplace of the practice, and it'll be the same the world over, where public relations is really growing as a field in Europe and Asia--China in particular. So much to know.....But I'll do my best to sum up what I've learned so far about the PR field (despite not being a student of the discipline). Just call this "PR for Dummies"...No, wait, don't, apparently there's already a book with that name, shoot....
From Chapter 1
As with most complex terms or techniques, a key to understanding the idea of public relations can be simplified (at first) with an acronym--R.A.C.E. (Research, Action, Communication, and Evaluation). Each component of that acronym also serves to help describe the cyclical nature of the PR process, connected by the needs for both feedback (positive and negative), and the program adjustment that results from it. PR is also what can be described as a multipurpose process, used for almost anything from counseling to publicity (be it corporate, community-related or entertainment-based) to matters of governance and finance. Unlike its close cousins journalism, marketing, and advertising, PR acts as more of an arbitrator whose practitioners seek to build relationships between their client(s) and said client's constituencies or intended audiences--a whole variety of audiences. It becomes even more effective when partnered with marketing and advertising campaigns, allowing both sides of the relationships built to prosper more often if said combined initiative works out well (teamwork between PR, marketing, and advertising agents is a must).
Making a career of PR, unfortunately, is no picnic. If one were to truly have an interest in going into the field, they'd need to have been a major in the subject in college, with supplemental courses on associated fields (economics, journalism, management, etc.). They also need to be masters of particular skill sets, in the form of research, planning, writing, problem-solving, and in this day and age social media, which has become a boon to the business. Whether in or out of college (or graduate school, if ambitious enough), getting a job in PR is similar to other professions in one aspect: an internship in the field is a highly-recommended first step towards a career (though getting a paying one is very tricky). When finally landing the job, one finds the salary to be a bit higher than other comm-based occupations (with a range in the cool $30-40k area, and the more professional getting six figures).
From Chapter 2
Public relations as a term is actually the most recent addition to the practice--the name is U.S.-based, but the practice of presenting a figure or an organization to the public(s) in ways meant to foster good connections between the two parties goes back to the eras of ancient empires. A most well-known usage of the practice was by the Catholic Church during the Crusades, where its extensive use of biblical-based propaganda inspired the faithful to go and fight. A couple of centuries later, it was expressly used by small private companies to recruit settlers for the 'New World' in North America (or South America for the Spanish and Portuguese). The first instances of proto-public relations practices on United States soil came about in the days of the American Revolution, found in historic moments such as the staging of the Boston Tea Party (to protest certain taxes) and the publication of the Federalist Papers (calling for the support of a new, constitutional government free of British rule and oversight).
The U.S. interpretation of the practice blossomed in the centuries to follow, starting with the aforementioned P.T. Barnum and his influential publicity techniques, the roots of which formed the basis for many used by the entertainment industry today. Further forerunners appeared around the time of the great western land rushes, as people were encouraged to hit the trail and settle in the territories acquired by the U.S. via the Louisiana Purchase and other similar acts. The various civil and social movements of the time also utilized publicity techniques to get the voices of the concerned heard, from the women's and temperance movements of the era of American Enlightenment in the 1840's-50's to the wilderness preservation campaigns of the 1890's-1900's. Early commercial PR in practice was found in the 1870's Wannamaker and Macy's campaigns, which resulted in larger customer yields for both department store giants. PR also helped to get the country to fully adopt AC (alternating current, or early electrical) systems nationwide, which while good for AC's champion George Westinghouse was not so good for DC's (or direct current's) advocate, the more prominent (despite what some Nikola Tesla acolytes will say) Thomas Edison.
It was during the first half of the 20th century that PR not only got its proper term, but also came into its own via pioneers such as Ivy Lee, Edward Burnays, and Arthur W. Page, the latter of whom helped cement public relations as an important part of the corporate management hierarchy. Public relations also becomes just as integral to both the entertainment and fashion industries around this time. After World War II, the resulting Baby Boom and the increasing presence of mass media such as television in an ever-growing consumer culture gave more power to PR agents and their related associates (found on Madison Avenue and the like). PR gains a higher spot in the corporate management hierarchy as time goes on, as the ideas of reputation management and relationship building were introduced into the PR agents' vernacular. The field also receives a greater influx of female professionals, so much so that today an estimation of 70% of women being PR professionals is fact.
Today, in an age dominated by internet-based content and social media being a part of everyone's lives, PR agencies and pros have shifted to tactics involving active listening and dialogues with the many publics they seek to attract, while increasing the diversity of their professional population and growing the number of practitioners globally. At the same time, in light of the current debate over transparency in the government (partially due to scandals involving the varying security agencies), corporate social responsibility (or CSR for short) has become a key buzzword for how PR agencies address the needs of both their clients and the clients' respective audiences/customers/stakeholders/constituencies.
From Chapter 4
In the past and up to now, most organizations, governments, and corporations have some form of a PR department--the more, shall we say, 'marketable' term would be 'corporate communications'. Within that setting, depending on the organization itself, the views on the top management there, or the PR exec's capabilities, the PR department will either be near the top or otherwise. In a larger environment, PR departments play a large role in the policy making of the group, while maintaining their own sense of autonomy. In a smaller setup, the PR department is also smaller and plays a more simpler role, such as issuing news releases--thus, they don't really play a part in group policy.
The hierarchy of an in-house PR department usually consists of a head with the title of either manager, director, or vice president (or sometimes chief communications officer). Following that position are the executives, then the coordinators, and then those who work within the department's creative, research, and financial areas. Of course, in a smaller PR department, there could be a smaller number of staff. Either way, the heads of such departments either serve the organization tactically, or counsel the top executive of the organization on matters such as policy.
In a large corporate setting, PR is seen as a staff function of a company or organization, compared to line function which includes line managers who are the prime policy makers. Under the staff function idea, a PR department serves to influence the line managers. While they can only recommend, they cannot implement policy outright. PR is also seen as going hand-in-hand with other similar departments: human resources, legal, advertising, and marketing, despite their being some level of competition between each department, especially between PR and advertising.
We now turn our attention to the more 'free-spirited' of the two types of PR organizations, the firms. Firms vary in size and scope, and these days are found all over the world. They are also multifaceted groups that offer different services to whoever can pay them. Among their services, they provide marketing communications, training for executive speech writing, research and evaluation, and crisis communication in times of potential disaster. They also help with media analysis, community relations, event management, counseling on public affairs, assistance with branding and corporate reputation, and matters of the financial variety.
PR firms are mostly found in large, metropolitan areas of the world, in order to gain better amounts of revenue from their international clientele. This vast scope and scale has become necessary in an increasingly-globalized world, so much that some conglomerates have emerged to address this. Within the structure of a firm, the hierarchy may consist of merely the president/owner, an assistant, and an administrative assistant. In a larger firm, there may be more people to necessitate a larger hierarchy. Within that larger context, it consists of a president, executive vice president, senior vice president, multiple VP's, an account supervisor (or supervisors), and finally the assistant account executives.
Firms drum up their business by hiring themselves out to organizations of varying sizes. Via the approach of 'request for proposal', the firms are asked to present themselves and how they can help the organization that approached them. It is highly competitive, as each firm has to give good reason as to why the organization should hire them for the job. The organization in question, beforehand, needs to keep in mind the pros and cons of hiring a firm. On the one hand, firms tend to be objective, offer an assortment of skills and abilities, have vast resources at their disposal via their many offices throughout the nation, possess specific problem-solving capabilities, and most importantly are very credible. On the other hand, firms only have a vague idea of the client's specific issue, sometimes aren't fully-committed, often need an extending briefing period, sometimes are resented by the organization's own in-house staff, will sometimes need direction from the top (which must also be willing to divulge full information about itself), and most importantly are very costly.
On the subject of costs, a PR firm's fees/charges consist of three common types: the basic hourly (plus out-of-pocket expenses), which is also extolled by attorneys, accountants, and management consultants; the retainer, which covers ordinary expenses and is charged monthly; and the fixed project fee, present only when the firm agrees to a special project for the organization (it's also the least popular of the three).
From Chapter 1
As with most complex terms or techniques, a key to understanding the idea of public relations can be simplified (at first) with an acronym--R.A.C.E. (Research, Action, Communication, and Evaluation). Each component of that acronym also serves to help describe the cyclical nature of the PR process, connected by the needs for both feedback (positive and negative), and the program adjustment that results from it. PR is also what can be described as a multipurpose process, used for almost anything from counseling to publicity (be it corporate, community-related or entertainment-based) to matters of governance and finance. Unlike its close cousins journalism, marketing, and advertising, PR acts as more of an arbitrator whose practitioners seek to build relationships between their client(s) and said client's constituencies or intended audiences--a whole variety of audiences. It becomes even more effective when partnered with marketing and advertising campaigns, allowing both sides of the relationships built to prosper more often if said combined initiative works out well (teamwork between PR, marketing, and advertising agents is a must).
Making a career of PR, unfortunately, is no picnic. If one were to truly have an interest in going into the field, they'd need to have been a major in the subject in college, with supplemental courses on associated fields (economics, journalism, management, etc.). They also need to be masters of particular skill sets, in the form of research, planning, writing, problem-solving, and in this day and age social media, which has become a boon to the business. Whether in or out of college (or graduate school, if ambitious enough), getting a job in PR is similar to other professions in one aspect: an internship in the field is a highly-recommended first step towards a career (though getting a paying one is very tricky). When finally landing the job, one finds the salary to be a bit higher than other comm-based occupations (with a range in the cool $30-40k area, and the more professional getting six figures).
From Chapter 2
Public relations as a term is actually the most recent addition to the practice--the name is U.S.-based, but the practice of presenting a figure or an organization to the public(s) in ways meant to foster good connections between the two parties goes back to the eras of ancient empires. A most well-known usage of the practice was by the Catholic Church during the Crusades, where its extensive use of biblical-based propaganda inspired the faithful to go and fight. A couple of centuries later, it was expressly used by small private companies to recruit settlers for the 'New World' in North America (or South America for the Spanish and Portuguese). The first instances of proto-public relations practices on United States soil came about in the days of the American Revolution, found in historic moments such as the staging of the Boston Tea Party (to protest certain taxes) and the publication of the Federalist Papers (calling for the support of a new, constitutional government free of British rule and oversight).
The U.S. interpretation of the practice blossomed in the centuries to follow, starting with the aforementioned P.T. Barnum and his influential publicity techniques, the roots of which formed the basis for many used by the entertainment industry today. Further forerunners appeared around the time of the great western land rushes, as people were encouraged to hit the trail and settle in the territories acquired by the U.S. via the Louisiana Purchase and other similar acts. The various civil and social movements of the time also utilized publicity techniques to get the voices of the concerned heard, from the women's and temperance movements of the era of American Enlightenment in the 1840's-50's to the wilderness preservation campaigns of the 1890's-1900's. Early commercial PR in practice was found in the 1870's Wannamaker and Macy's campaigns, which resulted in larger customer yields for both department store giants. PR also helped to get the country to fully adopt AC (alternating current, or early electrical) systems nationwide, which while good for AC's champion George Westinghouse was not so good for DC's (or direct current's) advocate, the more prominent (despite what some Nikola Tesla acolytes will say) Thomas Edison.
It was during the first half of the 20th century that PR not only got its proper term, but also came into its own via pioneers such as Ivy Lee, Edward Burnays, and Arthur W. Page, the latter of whom helped cement public relations as an important part of the corporate management hierarchy. Public relations also becomes just as integral to both the entertainment and fashion industries around this time. After World War II, the resulting Baby Boom and the increasing presence of mass media such as television in an ever-growing consumer culture gave more power to PR agents and their related associates (found on Madison Avenue and the like). PR gains a higher spot in the corporate management hierarchy as time goes on, as the ideas of reputation management and relationship building were introduced into the PR agents' vernacular. The field also receives a greater influx of female professionals, so much so that today an estimation of 70% of women being PR professionals is fact.
Today, in an age dominated by internet-based content and social media being a part of everyone's lives, PR agencies and pros have shifted to tactics involving active listening and dialogues with the many publics they seek to attract, while increasing the diversity of their professional population and growing the number of practitioners globally. At the same time, in light of the current debate over transparency in the government (partially due to scandals involving the varying security agencies), corporate social responsibility (or CSR for short) has become a key buzzword for how PR agencies address the needs of both their clients and the clients' respective audiences/customers/stakeholders/constituencies.
From Chapter 4
In the past and up to now, most organizations, governments, and corporations have some form of a PR department--the more, shall we say, 'marketable' term would be 'corporate communications'. Within that setting, depending on the organization itself, the views on the top management there, or the PR exec's capabilities, the PR department will either be near the top or otherwise. In a larger environment, PR departments play a large role in the policy making of the group, while maintaining their own sense of autonomy. In a smaller setup, the PR department is also smaller and plays a more simpler role, such as issuing news releases--thus, they don't really play a part in group policy.
The hierarchy of an in-house PR department usually consists of a head with the title of either manager, director, or vice president (or sometimes chief communications officer). Following that position are the executives, then the coordinators, and then those who work within the department's creative, research, and financial areas. Of course, in a smaller PR department, there could be a smaller number of staff. Either way, the heads of such departments either serve the organization tactically, or counsel the top executive of the organization on matters such as policy.
In a large corporate setting, PR is seen as a staff function of a company or organization, compared to line function which includes line managers who are the prime policy makers. Under the staff function idea, a PR department serves to influence the line managers. While they can only recommend, they cannot implement policy outright. PR is also seen as going hand-in-hand with other similar departments: human resources, legal, advertising, and marketing, despite their being some level of competition between each department, especially between PR and advertising.
We now turn our attention to the more 'free-spirited' of the two types of PR organizations, the firms. Firms vary in size and scope, and these days are found all over the world. They are also multifaceted groups that offer different services to whoever can pay them. Among their services, they provide marketing communications, training for executive speech writing, research and evaluation, and crisis communication in times of potential disaster. They also help with media analysis, community relations, event management, counseling on public affairs, assistance with branding and corporate reputation, and matters of the financial variety.
PR firms are mostly found in large, metropolitan areas of the world, in order to gain better amounts of revenue from their international clientele. This vast scope and scale has become necessary in an increasingly-globalized world, so much that some conglomerates have emerged to address this. Within the structure of a firm, the hierarchy may consist of merely the president/owner, an assistant, and an administrative assistant. In a larger firm, there may be more people to necessitate a larger hierarchy. Within that larger context, it consists of a president, executive vice president, senior vice president, multiple VP's, an account supervisor (or supervisors), and finally the assistant account executives.
Firms drum up their business by hiring themselves out to organizations of varying sizes. Via the approach of 'request for proposal', the firms are asked to present themselves and how they can help the organization that approached them. It is highly competitive, as each firm has to give good reason as to why the organization should hire them for the job. The organization in question, beforehand, needs to keep in mind the pros and cons of hiring a firm. On the one hand, firms tend to be objective, offer an assortment of skills and abilities, have vast resources at their disposal via their many offices throughout the nation, possess specific problem-solving capabilities, and most importantly are very credible. On the other hand, firms only have a vague idea of the client's specific issue, sometimes aren't fully-committed, often need an extending briefing period, sometimes are resented by the organization's own in-house staff, will sometimes need direction from the top (which must also be willing to divulge full information about itself), and most importantly are very costly.
On the subject of costs, a PR firm's fees/charges consist of three common types: the basic hourly (plus out-of-pocket expenses), which is also extolled by attorneys, accountants, and management consultants; the retainer, which covers ordinary expenses and is charged monthly; and the fixed project fee, present only when the firm agrees to a special project for the organization (it's also the least popular of the three).
Friday, January 10, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take One (January 6th-13th, 2014)
Well, here's my inaugural blog post, and it's my inaugural media monitoring blog post. In perusing the available recent articles focusing on airlines and the industry at large, I felt these stuck out enough to be worthy of notice, especially given the recent cold weather fiasco currently befalling it:
"Fliers getting silence from airlines turn to Twitter"
By Dawn Gilbertson
USA Today/The Arizona Republic
January 8, 2014
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/01/08/frustrated-fliers-turn-to-twitter/4368629/
In a nutshell: In response to the seeming inactivity of the airlines themselves following a mass cancellation of many flights due to a severe cold snap in the northeast, many people are turning to social media to probe the airlines on the problems with re-booking their flights.
Why it matters: Setting up good relations with our customers should be one of our top priorities, as we may need to, in instances such as the current cold weather calamity, provide reassurance to them should they experience unexpected changes in their travel plans.
"Airlines up capacity for local flights, but what about fares?"
By Laura Ruane
news-press.com
January 7, 2014
http://www.news-press.com/article/20140108/BUSINESS/301080033/Airlines-up-capacity-local-flights-fares-not-expected-fall?nclick_check=1
In a nutshell: Some airlines are increasing their capacities for most local flights, but as a result, most airfares will either stay the same or go up.
Why it matters: Our customer base may include a lot of frugally-minded people among their number, who will be mindful of how much they want to spend towards airfare (depending on the destination of course), and there is also the larger concern that there could be problems accommodating more travelers on the planes while trying to keep an eye on these costs.
"United Airlines Makes Major Investments for Customers at San Francisco International Airport"
The Wall Street Journal
January 9, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140109-910206.html
In a nutshell: United Airlines and San Francisco International Airport are joining forces to provide a more
customer-friendly and environmentally sustainable experience via a newly-redesigned wing of the airport.
Why it matters: We need to make ourselves very attractive to potential customers and be able to keep up with recent environmental trends at the same time, so touting our own eco-friendly innovations for our flight experiences is a perfect project.
"Airlines still overcharging for credit card use"
By Georgia Wilkins
The Sydney Morning Herald
January 8, 2014
http://www.smh.com.au/business/airlines-still-overcharging-for-credit-card-use-20140108-30gr4.html
In a nutshell: Airline customers and consumer groups are calling out certain airlines for inflated credit card charges, which fly in the face of current regulations.
Why it matters: We also should be able to present ourselves as a very affordable airline to travel by, and avoid the mistakes of charging customers too much for certain aspects of our flights.
"The Best (and Worst) Airlines"
By Scott McCartney
The Wall Street Journal
January 8, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304347904579308640380117768
In a nutshell: This is a compilation of what worked for certain airlines in the prior year of 2013 and what didn't work out for them.
Why it matters: This, along with similar tabulations, should serve as a tool to help us learn from the mistakes of others in order to better serve both our customer base and our stakeholders.
"Fliers getting silence from airlines turn to Twitter"
By Dawn Gilbertson
USA Today/The Arizona Republic
January 8, 2014
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/01/08/frustrated-fliers-turn-to-twitter/4368629/
In a nutshell: In response to the seeming inactivity of the airlines themselves following a mass cancellation of many flights due to a severe cold snap in the northeast, many people are turning to social media to probe the airlines on the problems with re-booking their flights.
Why it matters: Setting up good relations with our customers should be one of our top priorities, as we may need to, in instances such as the current cold weather calamity, provide reassurance to them should they experience unexpected changes in their travel plans.
"Airlines up capacity for local flights, but what about fares?"
By Laura Ruane
news-press.com
January 7, 2014
http://www.news-press.com/article/20140108/BUSINESS/301080033/Airlines-up-capacity-local-flights-fares-not-expected-fall?nclick_check=1
In a nutshell: Some airlines are increasing their capacities for most local flights, but as a result, most airfares will either stay the same or go up.
Why it matters: Our customer base may include a lot of frugally-minded people among their number, who will be mindful of how much they want to spend towards airfare (depending on the destination of course), and there is also the larger concern that there could be problems accommodating more travelers on the planes while trying to keep an eye on these costs.
"United Airlines Makes Major Investments for Customers at San Francisco International Airport"
The Wall Street Journal
January 9, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140109-910206.html
In a nutshell: United Airlines and San Francisco International Airport are joining forces to provide a more
customer-friendly and environmentally sustainable experience via a newly-redesigned wing of the airport.
Why it matters: We need to make ourselves very attractive to potential customers and be able to keep up with recent environmental trends at the same time, so touting our own eco-friendly innovations for our flight experiences is a perfect project.
"Airlines still overcharging for credit card use"
By Georgia Wilkins
The Sydney Morning Herald
January 8, 2014
http://www.smh.com.au/business/airlines-still-overcharging-for-credit-card-use-20140108-30gr4.html
In a nutshell: Airline customers and consumer groups are calling out certain airlines for inflated credit card charges, which fly in the face of current regulations.
Why it matters: We also should be able to present ourselves as a very affordable airline to travel by, and avoid the mistakes of charging customers too much for certain aspects of our flights.
"The Best (and Worst) Airlines"
By Scott McCartney
The Wall Street Journal
January 8, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304347904579308640380117768
In a nutshell: This is a compilation of what worked for certain airlines in the prior year of 2013 and what didn't work out for them.
Why it matters: This, along with similar tabulations, should serve as a tool to help us learn from the mistakes of others in order to better serve both our customer base and our stakeholders.
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